The Venator
by Nerym
Summary: Arthur is the secretly adopted son of Artemis. He was trained by the Hunters and the Legion to become the best monster hunter ever. He plays a secret role in both wars, even saving the Savior of Olympus a few times. When he is revealed as the son of Artemis, how will everyone react? Also, will a new prophecy end with the final destruction of Olympus? All PJO characters are Rick's.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. I posted a different version of this story a few months ago. I was not happy with it so I took it down and started to rewrite it. Finally, I have it redone and back up. I hope you guys like it, this is my first story on here.**

Artemis stopped the Hunt suddenly. She heard something crying out in the distance, and was afraid it was a trap for her Hunters. The Hunters crouched down ready to attack whatever it was their leader had sensed. Zoe, Artemis's lieutenant, crept forward.

"What is it my lady?" she asked.

Artemis focused her gaze on the direction the crying was coming from, "I'm not sure. I hear some crying in the distance. It could I trap."

"Do you want me to scout it my lady?"

"No Zoe," Artemis said, "I will take a look. There is no reason to risk the Hunt."

Artemis did not want to lose any of her girls. Their numbers had just started to stabilize recently. Only a few of her hunters had been traveling with her for centuries, the rest had joined in the last few years. Artemis hated when any of her Hunters died, so she was doing all she could to train them and protect them.

She moved towards the clearing where the noise was coming from. She could see nothing but a small pile of blankets near the far side of the clearing. Artemis quickly ran the perimeter, to check for any signs of monsters. There were some tracks, but they seemed to be old and moving away from the clearing where she was. Artemis crept up to the blankets, but was unprepared for the sight that greeted her.

Laying in the blankets was the body of a woman. She was covered in blood and seemed to be protecting something. Artemis moved closer to check the vitals of the woman. She was close to death, and happened to turn her head as Artemis was checking her.

"Please," the dying woman gasped, "take care of my child."

Artemis noticed the bundle in the woman's arms was where the crying noise was coming from. she looked down to see a child, no more than one year old, trying to grasp onto its mother. Artemis felt her heart break for the woman. She was out here alone with a child, and the father was nowhere to be seen. That was further proof that males were evil creatures for Artemis. She had witnessed so much cruelty from males over the millennia, and this was no different.

"I will do what I can for the child," Artemis told the dying woman.

"Thank you, Lady Diana," the woman said.

Artemis's eyebrow arched at hearing this. Was this woman a demigod? Not only that, but she was a Roman demigod.

"How do you know that name?" Artemis questioned the woman. She hoped she could get an answer before the woman died.

"I'm what you call clear sighted. The child's father was a Roman demigod, a legacy of Mithras," the woman said.

Artemis could not believe what she was hearing. Mithras had faded centuries ago, had she truly sired enough children to carry on a legacy? Artemis looked on the woman with pity. Her last breath was coming, Artemis hoped she would make it to Elysium for her troubles.

"I will take care of your child. Go in peace young one," Artemis told the woman.

A smile formed on the woman's face as she closed her eyes and breathed her if in response, the child cried harder as its mother passed on. Artemis reached down and grabbed the bundled child in her arms.

The child stopped crying to look at the person lifting it. Artemis locked eyes with the baby and and felt her heart swell with emotion. Being the goddess of childbirth, she knew the joy mothers felt when they held their babies. However, she was a virgin goddess and had never held a child of her own. When the little one in her arms locked eyes with her, blue staring at silver, she thought this must be what it feels like.

The child was a healthy, one year old boy. Artemis was a little upset by his gender. She had hoped to gain a Hunter she could train from birth. As she pondered what she would do with the child, things took a turn for the worst.

Artemis turned when she heard the snort and roar. There across the clearing was none other than the Calydonian Boar. Normally this would be no problem for Artemis to handle, she was goddess of the hunt after all. This time though she had a child to protect, which would make killing the boar that much harder. Artemis whistled to signal the hunt as the boar charged. Artemis's mind was racing as she hoped the arrival of the Hunt would deter the boar. If not it should make it easier to kill the boar itself.

Artemis dodged the boars attacks, keeping the young boy in her arms. She did not want to set him down as it was winter and snow had recently fallen. She feared the child would die if she set it down.

"My Lady!" Zoe yelled as she entered the clearing with the Hunt.

The girls took aim at the boar and tried to get it away from Artemis. Their plan worked, only for the boar to turn and charge straight at them. The Hunt was not as quick as Artemis and froze when the boar charged them. Artemis knew she had only one choice and gently lay the child she held on the ground and summoned her bow.

As she fired a silver arrow made of pure ener launched at the boar. Artemis hoped she had shot it in time, fearing for her Hunters lives. She heard one of the girls scream before her arrow connected. The next sight she saw was a cloud of gold dust covering her Hunters, and her lieutenant's mouth hanging open as her scream died out.

"Zoe, close your mouth before you inhale anymore monster, or before you show the Hunt how girly you can truly be," Artemis teased.

Zoe blushed and started to brush herself off, "My Lady why did you not shoot the beast to begin with. Surely you could have finished it off without the Hunt here."

Artemis sighed, "My arms were full at the moment, so I was unable to draw my bow."

Zoe nodded, "Did you find the source of the noise?"

Artemis's eyes widened. She forgot she had set the child down in the snow. She rushed over to the bundle of blankets and scooped the child up. It was not making any noise and was starting to turn blue. The child was more mortal than legacy she realized. A demigod or legacy would be able to handle the colder temperatures. What was she going to do, she promised that woman that her child would be safe.

"My Lady, why are you holding that child?" Zoe inquired. The rest of the Hunt was moving in closer as well to see what Artemis was doing.

"His mother was dying and asked me to save him," Artemis said, "He is dying from the cold though."

The girls had panicked looks on their faces. They hated males, but little children were okay in their eyes. None of them wanted to see the child die.

"Is there anything we can do," one of the Hunters asked.

"Lady Artemis surely you can save him," another called out.

Artemis wracked her brain. She was not good at healing, that was her brother's domain, and she refused to call on him. Something had to be done though. Her mind finally fell on an option that had not been used by any gods for a millennia.

"Girls, I can save the child, but you may not like the method," Artemis began to say calmly.

"My Lady, what could you have in mind?" Zoe asked.

Artemis closed her eyes and drew out one of her hunting knives, "I will make this child my own."

"But Lady Artemis..."

"He's a boy..."

"...would he be our brother?"

The last question was from a much newer Hunter. One who did not hate boys as much as the others. Artemis smiled as she began the ceremony.

Chanting in Ancient Greek, she laid the child on her lap. She placed the edge of her hunting knife against the palm of her hand and applied pressure. The Hunt gasped when they saw the golden ichor flow out of their mistresses palm. Artemis squeezed more ichor out and held her hand over the baby's mouth, letting her blood drop into it. As the blood entered the child, Artemis began to chant more furiously, causing the ichor to mix in with the child's blood.

"She's fusing her blood with the child's to adopt him," Zoe said breathlessly.

The other girls stared in disbelief as the mistress, who taught them to hate men, saved one from dying. A silver glow surrounded them as Artemis finished her incantation. When the glow faded, the Hunt saw the child had a better complexion and was breathing again. The child reached its arms out for Artemis to pull it closer. As she did, the child opened his eyes, and Artemis grinned. In his blue eyes, were now bright flecks of silver.

"My Lady, the other gods will be furious to hear about this. You now have a child! They will think you broke your oath," exclaimed Zoe.

"That is why for now, he will be the Hunt's secret, right girls?"

The Hunt nodded in agreement as they moved closer to get a good look at their new brother. They all agreed that he was cute for a baby male. They cooed and made faces at the baby as he woke up a little more. He seemed to enjoy the attention as he giggled and clapped his hands. Zoe got close enough that he grabbed some of her hair and pulled, causing Zoe to shout.

"Little demon," Zoe started to yell out, only to be silenced by Artemis.

"He does not know better Zoe," Artemis said, "We will teach him though. He will be the most honorable man on the Earth. We will teach him to hunt and how to be a true man."

If the girls were not excited before, they definitely became excited now. Many Hunters had bad experiences with men in the past. It seemed like a never ending cycle. Now they had a chance to teach a boy how to be a man, and hopefully others would follow his example.

"What is his name Lady Artemis?" Phoebe asked.

Artemis had not been given a name for the child. The mother had died before she could ask. She thought back to names she had heard over the millennia, trying to find one that would fit. She wanted to name him after a honorable man, but there were so few that she had known. After several minutes she thought of the perfect name.

"His name is Arthur," she told the Hunt.

"Why Arthur?"

Artemis smiled, "Well there was a good man many years ago named Arthur. He is nothing more than legend now. Plus, it seems like the male version of my name."

Arthur seemed to like this, because he started to laugh and clap again. This caused the girls to laugh as well. Artemis looked at her son and felt like the happiest being on Earth. Things would be rough, and she would have to find a way to tell Zeus at some point, but for now everyone was happy.

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this. I will try to have the next chapter up soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys before we get into chapter two, I want to thank those who took the time to read this story. Hopefully, you guys enjoy it and will come back to read more.**

 **To Roma77: Thanks for the review! Reyna, unfortunately will not be appearing for a few chapters, but she will be a major part of the story after she shows up.**

 **Here is chapter two.**

 **Seven Years Later**

"Mom, Zee won't give me my arrows back," Arthur yelled across the camp.

Artemis rubbed her temples, she had just gotten back from a council meeting and did not need all the yelling. She always was nervous about the council meetings after she adopted Arthur. Apollo and Hestia knew about the child, but they had to keep it a secret from Zeus still.

"What did you do Arthur?" Artemis asked as she walked over to her son and lieutenant.

"Nothing," Arthur said innocently.

"Are you lying?" Artemis raised her eyebrow.

"Yes. I shot my bow in her direction by mistake," Arthur said.

"Thou knew I was over there," Zoe insisted.

Arthur hung his head. Artemis could tell he felt bad for almost shooting his older sister. She patted him on the back and looked him in the eye.

"Did you apologize?" Artemis asked.

"No, it was an accident," Arthur said. The boy had grown quite a bit. When Artemis was in her twelve year old form they could see eye to eye. She sighed at Arthur's comment.

"Arthur, I know it's hard, but you have to apologize when you are wrong or do something wrong, even if it is by accident," Artemis told the boy.

Arthur nodded and apologized to Zoe. Artemis knew that Zoe could not be mad at Arthur for long. As soon as she saw his puppy dog eyes water, she forgave him and gave him his arrows back. Artemis laughed as Arthur then jumped and hugged Zoe before challenging her to a race to the range.

Her son was growing up fast, Artemis thought. Soon he would need to go off to one of the camps for more training. As much as it pained her to think about, she knew it was for his own good. She was not sure if she agreed with Lupa though.

The wolf goddess and protector of Rome had demanded that her son go to Camp Jupiter when he was eleven. Arthur's father was a distant legacy of Mithras, and, even though he faded long ago, Mithras was still a Roman deity at one time. Artemis was not sure how it would work though. If Arthur was claimed as a legacy of Mithras, he would be run out of the Legion faster than a child of Minerva.

Lupa of course had the solution. When it was time for Arthur to be claimed, Artemis would appear, as Diana of course, and claim Arthur as the only man to receive her sponsorship. Then it would not matter who his godly parent was, his sponsor would take their place in the eyes of Rome.

Artemis walked over to the range to watch how well Arthur's shooting was getting. She worked with him everyday to make sure he would not tarnish her reputation. With his training, he became the best shot in the camp after Artemis herself. The Hunters were upset by this at first, but Arthur never held it over their heads. He knew he should not boast, that made people feel bad.

The Hunters took it upon themselves to teach Arthur how to become the best man alive. Someone that any Hunter would leave the Hunt for. Artemis smiled every time he would help up one of the girls if they fell, or when he would perform some other gentlemanly act. Apollo had taught him a few things that Artemis did not like to see though. Every so often, if Arthur made a Hunter laugh, he would wink at them. This of course made them laugh more, since it was their cute younger brother doing the winking, but Artemis had to explain to Arthur why he should not do that to any girl he sees. She told him that flirting and anything uncle Apollo taught him should only be done to the girl he falls in love with.

Artemis came out of her thoughts when she arrived at the range and saw no one there. She heard Arthur say he would race Zoe to the range. Where were they?

As Artemis looked around she noticed tracks in the ground. Upon further inspection she saw they were from a hellhound! What was it doing in her Hunter's camp? Worse, were the tracks next to the hellhound tracks, Arthur and Zoe's foot prints. Artemis rushed in the direction the tracks led, hoping the two of them were ok.

"I win Zee," Arthur called back to Zoe as he reached the range.

Zoe breathed heavily, "It was not a fair race, you had a head start."

Arthur laughed as Zoe ran towards him and tackled him. She held him down and tickled him as he tried to get away. The two had formed a very tight bond over the last seven years. Zoe loved Arthur and made sure he stayed out of trouble, most of the time. The boy had a knack for causing chaos anywhere he went.

Arthur pulled out his bow and began to test the draw on it, ready to shoot at the targets. He could almost match Zoe shot for shot when they shot at targets. Zoe was proud of how far he had come in the last seven years. Zoe stepped up next to him and the two began to practice their archery.

Arthur would try to pull off ridiculous trick shots, causing Zoe to laugh at him. She soon found herself calling shots like he was. The two had a fun time shooting. It was shortly after that, things took a turn for the worst.

"Zee, something's wrong," Arthur said.

Zoe looked around, and sure enough, there was an eerie stillness in the air.

"Arthur, we need to get back to camp," Zoe said. She started scanning the area to sense what was causing the disturbance.

They started slowly making their way back to camp when they heard it. Something nearby was growling menacingly. Arthur and Zoe both started looking around for where the monster was. Zoe knew that she had to protect her lady's son at all costs.

The growling grew louder, and a dark shape lept out of the woods near Arthur. A large hellhound tackled Arthur and pinned him to the ground. Arthur struggled to get out of the beast's grip, or at least get to his knives. It was too strong for him to fight off. The beast opened its mouth and prepared to bite down on Arthur. Arthur closed his eyes, not wanting to see his death coming.

Arthur thought he saw silver light flash through his eyelids. He continued to lay on the ground waiting for his death, but it never came. He opened up his eyes and saw that Zoe had tackled the monster and shot arrows into it. The hellhound was resilient though, as it continued to fight back viciously.

"Arthur, run. I got this," Zoe yelled over her shoulder. She was out of arrows from target practice and had to fight the beast with her knives.

"Zee, I can't leave you," Arthur said. He stood up catching his breath. He had to help his sister, she was not as good with her knives as with her bow.

Zoe kicked the hellhound in the face, knocking it back. She turned around to yell at Arthur, but her yell was cut off. The hellhound was not as stunned as she had hoped. It took a swipe at her, clawing her back and knocking her into a nearby tree. Arthur stood in stunned silence as he watched his favorite sister crumple to the ground.

Artemis rushed through the trees at this point. She ran to her lieutenant to make sure she was still breathing. She summoned her bow to kill the monster that did this. However, when she turned to face the hellhound, a gruesome scene greeted her.

Arthur was surrounded by an orange aura and was tearing the hellhound apart. Artemis watched as her son ripped the front legs off of the monster, gold dust pouring out of it's wounds. Arthur drew a knife and began to torture the hellhound, cutting small gashes into it all over it's body. Artemis knew what this was, but had never seen it first hand. Arthur had fallen to the curse of Mithras.

When Mithras faded, he cursed all of his demigod children to show no mercy in battle. They were the fiercest warriors, but also the most unstable. Children of Mithras were likely to turn on their own kind as well as their enemy. It was believed that they were all hunted down and killed. Arthur's father's family must have slipped through somehow. Arthur was the last of the line though, Artemis had made sure of that.

Arthur took his time killing the hellhound. Artemis knew that it was revenge for the monster hurting Zoe. She had to put a stop to it, or else Arthur would be consumed by the curse. Artemis shot an arrow and vaporized the hellhound. Arthur turned to glare at Artemis.

"Arthur, enough," Artemis said as firmly as she could. Those eyes were unnerving with their orange glow.

"It hurt Zoe. It had to pay," Arthur replied.

Artemis glared at her son, "You need to calm down, NOW!"

The force she put into the last word seemed to snap Arthur out of his state. He looked around and saw Zoe on the ground, then his mother glaring at him. He hung his head in shame.

"I'm sorry mom. I was just so angry with what happened to Zee. Is she ok?" Arthur asked.

Artemis breathed, "Yes, she is ok, just needs time to heal. We need to talk though."

Artemis sat down, and Arthur climbed onto her lap. Artemis knew she would have to teach Arthur a way to control the curse of Mithras. Luckily, she remembered something she had heard of from the Asian pantheons, many years ago. She hoped it would work.

"Arthur, you cannot let yourself get angry like that again. It is dangerous," she said.

Arthur looked confused, "Why?"

"Because you are a special demigod my son," Artemis continued, "When I found you, you were more human than anything else, but your father was a demigod legacy. Do you remember what that means?"

Arthur nodded.

"Somehow, your father's demigod genes did not get passed on. You were human like your mother. When I added my essence into you, and adopted you, that awakened your father's genes in you."

"So I'm a demigod like him then?" Arthur asked.

"No, child," Artemis said, "You are something else. His legacy just got passed on into you. It is a dangerous legacy that you must learn how to control."

"What was my father's legacy?" Arthur asked. He had always been a curious one. Too curious for his own good sometimes, Artemis thought.

Artemis explained the legend of Mithras and his children. Arthur listened intently. As the story progressed, he began to hang his head lower and lower. Artemis was worried that he was taking this too much to heart.

"What is wrong my son?" she asked him.

"I wish my father was not who he was. I just want to be your son," Arthur said. His voice cracked and tears were in his eyes.

"Arthur, listen to me," Artemis said, moving his face to look into hers, "You are my son. No matter what, that is the truth. I will always love you. I can teach you to keep your father's legacy from taking over again if you would like though."

Arthur's smile brightened up the entire forest. Artemis could not help but laugh at the enthusiasm her son had. She told him the meditation techniques she had heard of years ago. Arthur sat with his legs crossed and his hands together. He formed a sign with his hands and began to control his breathing.

"This will keep your anger from taking over," Artemis said, "There are many techniques for meditation you can learn and adapt. For now, this should be good enough though."

Arthur opened his eyes, "Thanks mom."

He stood up to check Zoe. Artemis flashed the three of them back to the camp where Zoe could get more medical attention. Artemis watched as Arthur helped his sisters prepare dinner. She knew her son's future would be a rough one, but hopefully he would be able to find happiness. A voice in her head interrupted her thoughts.

"You know he will have to come to me soon," it said.

"Just give me five more years with him," Artemis replied, "Then he can defend himself from the anger that will come."

"Do not worry too much about him," the voice continued, "My plan will work and your son will be a great hero. Then your father will have to accept him."

Artemis sighed. She knew the plan well. Her son would become a hero, but one that is known only through rumor and whispers. Until then, he would be looked at as an outcast since he was her son. Her only reply to the voice was, "I hope you're right Lupa."

 **There you go guys hope you enjoyed it. I'm sorry for all the filler, but parts of this will be important later on. Next chapter is on its way.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone. Chapter three came together sooner than I expected. Hope you guys enjoy.**

 **Thanks to Roma77 and bleach409 for the reviews.**

Five years passed by in a blur. Artemis watched her son grow from a little boy who followed his sisters everywhere, to a young man that could hunt on his own. Arthur was twelve now and had learned everything Artemis taught him. He could match Zoe shot for shot in archery, and sometimes beat Phoebe in hand to hand combat. Artemis did not neglect his meditation training either. Arthur seemed to manage his anger and had kept the Curse of Mithras from emerging again. Artemis felt great pride about her son. She had raised a male, worthy of being called a man.

However, all good things must come to an end. Artemis knew that one day her son may have to go to one of the camps. Mithras being a Roman cult, meant that Arthur would most likely go to Camp Jupiter. Artemis knew that was for the best, all the gods' Roman aspects interacted lipless with their children than the Greek aspects. She was still worried about what would happen to him.

"Remember, what Lupa teaches you is just as important as what you learned here," Artemis tells Arthur.

"I know mom," Arthur says with a smile.

Artemis chuckled, "I just want to make sure you are ready for what you are about to go through."

"It can't be harder than Zee's survival training," Arthur out air quotes around the words, survival training. Artemis remembered when Zoe wanted to teach Arthur survival skills. He was ten and had just pranked Zoe by dying her hair neon pink while she slept. Artemis had to admit that it was funny, but Zoe's revenge was better. Her survival training consisted of a weekend long hunt, of Arthur. She was nice enough to give him a head start, but after those first few hours, the woods were filled with the screams of Arthur as Zoe hunted him.

"I think we all learned a lesson from that one," Phoebe said as she walked up to see Arthur off.

Artemis, Zoe, and Phoebe brought Arthur to California, and were dropping him off. Being Roman, Arthur was supposed to make his way to the Wolf House on his own. That was the start of his training for the Legion.

"You better show those Romans up," Phoebe continued, hugging Arthur, "Otherwise we may have to have more survival training."

Arthur shuddered at that, "Don't worry Pheebs, I'll make sure to show up any of Uncle Apollo's children."

Phoebe laughed and hugged Arthur tight. She said goodbye and headed back to the Hunt. Lady Artemis kissed her son's head and walked back with her. That left Zoe and Arthur alone. Both had grown attached to the other and did not want to say goodbye. Arthur had actually begged Zoe to come with him so they would not have to be apart.

"Well Zoe, I guess this is goodbye for now," Arthur said nervously.

"Indeed little brother. You will remember to take care of yourself," it was not a question so much as a command.

Arthur nodded, "I will. Watch out for our sisters."

"I want reports as often as you can," Zoe told him, "Iris message only when you are alone or absolutely need help."

"What could happen Zee? I'm the son of Artemis and your brother, I can handle anything," Arthur said confidently. He flexed his arms as he finished his statement.

Zoe laughed at him, "Make sure you remember EVERYTHING we taught you. The stuff about women too."

Arthur blushed, "I will Zee. I have to go now, I love you."

Arthur lunged and wrapped Zoe in a hug. Zoe returned the gesture and wrapped her little brother up in her arms, "I love you, little brother."

With that, Arthur was on his way. He would miss his sisters, but a new adventure awaited him. He was not sure what would come of it, but it was exciting to think about. He pulled on his silver jacket and headed towards his fate.

* * *

After a fun couple of days of camping and hunting, Arthur found himself in front of, what he assumed was the Wolf House. It looked old and wore down, but Arthur did not mind at all, shelter was shelter. Arthur could looked around and saw no one around, so he went inside.

He found a place to sit and built a small fire. He pulled out some of the meat he brought with him and warmed it up. He figured if he was going to wait, he might as well eat something. He enjoyed a quick lunch and made sure the rest of his food was secure. Arthur then rested his back against the wall and shut his eyes to grab a quick nap.

He was woken up about thirty minutes later to a wet nose prodding his face. He knew how long it had been thanks to one of the abilities he gained from his mother's blood. He could tell the time and direction, by looking at the sky. Of course, it worked better at night, since Artemis was the moon goddess.

"Hey there," Arthur said to the wolf that was waking him up. Growing up in the Hunt, Arthur was at ease around wolves. The wolf tilted its head and glanced at Arthur's bag.

"You smell the meat don't you?" Arthur asked.

The wolf nodded once.

Arthur dug out the meat and pulled a piece out for the wolf. He tossed it to the animal who quickly ate it. Arthur stood up and rubbed the wolf's head before stretching.

"Are you why this place is called the Wolf House?" he asked the wolf

"No young one, that would be me," a voice behind him said.

Arthur turned and saw a much larger wolf staring directly at him. He quickly bowed his head.

"Lady Lupa, it is an honor to meet you," he said humbly.

"I see your mother taught you well. As long as you remember your training you will go far in the Legion," Lupa said.

"Thank you my lady," Arthur said, "When do I begin my training with you?"

Lupa seemed to be analyzing him for a moment. Arthur felt a little self-conscious as she looked him over. He worried that something was wrong and that he would be rejected.

"Pup, there is not much that I can teach you. Your mother and sisters have prepared you more than any other hero I have seen here," Lupa told him.

Arthur's eyebrow raised, "There's nothing you can teach me?"

Lupa shook her head, "You are ready for the final test, but before you make your way to New Rome, I have some advice for you. Do not reveal who your mother is or who you are a legacy of."

Arthur was confused by this. He was not ashamed of his mother or his heritage. He knew he was more mortal than the other demigods in his mother's Hunt, but Artemis claimed him as her son. He felt special because of that. Now Lupa was telling him to hide it from everyone.

"Why?" That was the only word Arthur could form.

"Pup listen carefully," Lupa said as she sat down in front of him, "I know how proud you are of who your mother and sisters are. She is a maiden goddess though. It would cause trouble if people knew she was your mother. Your father's heritage is not looked upon kindly in Rome either."

Arthur glared at the wolf god, "Then why would I go to such a place."

Lupa seemed to age in front of Arthur's eyes, "They will need you. Darkness is creeping out of places that should have remained hidden. You, my young hunter, will play a crucial role in the events to come. It may not be center stage, but without you, all may be lost."

"How do you know this?" Arthur asked. He was confused by what she was telling him.

"All gods have glimpses of what is to come, pup. Now do you understand what I have told you?"

Arthur nodded.

"Good," Lupa continued, "Then you must make your way south. You will know where to go when you get close."

Arthur thanked Lupa and turned to leave. He had been excited, at first, of this new adventure he was about to set off on. Now, it seemed like a punishment. He would be important but he had to keep his true self hidden. He knew his grandfather would be upset about his existence, Artemis told him that herself. Why would he have to stay hidden from the other here's though? He now realized why Zoe said it was bad to know too much about your future.

Lupa watched the young hero as he left the Wolf House for his journey south. She knew he was upset about what she told him. She wanted him to be ready for the rough road ahead, it would make him stronger. She had seen a prophecy from Rome's Sibylline Books, and she had a hunch it was about this young hero. If she was right he would need all the strength he could get, they all would.

* * *

Arthur quickly got over his depressed state after walking for several hours. He kept to the woods as much as possible, it was where he felt most at home. Lupa's words still played in his mind, but he decided to meet whatever would end up coming his way. Zoe and his mother taught him to be determined and to handle any obstacle head on. As evening came, Arthur thought that his final task was going to be a breeze. He was proved wrong the next morning.

When he awoke, he heard the loud thudding of heavy footsteps coming his way. Arthur readied his bow and gathered his gear. He started walking away from the thuds when more sounded in the direction he was heading. He knew he was being boxed in, but not by what.

"I smell hero," a bellowing voice said. Arthur quickly jumped into some bushes to watch for what was after him.

"He's nearby," another voice said.

Arthur drew an arrow and prepared to fire it at whatever monster was coming. The footsteps moved closer and closer. Suddenly, a blast destroyed several trees nearby. Arthur had not seen what caused it, but he knew it was destructive. When the dust from the trees settled, Arthur saw two giant ment standing opposite each other, they each had a bag of what looked like bronze cannon balls on their back.

"Come out hero," one said.

"We wish to eat you," the other added.

"Don't say that out loud idiot. Then he will stay hidden and he won't taste as good," the first one criticized.

Arthur could not believe the stupidity of these creatures. He wondered if he could slowly get away while they argued. He knew they could smell him, but he could mask his scent somehow and get away. Maybe a river?

"Are you sure you smell demigod?" the second, and dumber one in Arthur's opinion, asked.

"Yes, he is around here somewhere," the first insisted.

"Well I don't see him anywhere."

"Good thing you aren't in charge then," the first one was getting angry with the second.

"Maybe I should be in charge," the second giant grabbed one of his cannon balls and it lit on fire.

This was exactly what Arthur needed was the two to fight each other. He started to move away slowly. The giants were too busy fighting to see him move. His plan was working, until a third giant appeared.

"He's right there!"

Both giants turned to see Arthur crawling along the ground. They fired cannonballs at him, but Arthur was small and quick, causing them to miss. He rolled through the brush and stood, drawing his arrow. He quickly fired it at the third giant, hitting him between the eyes and killing him. Zoe would be proud Arthur thought.

The other two giants closed in on him so he swapped his bow out for his hunting knives. Wielding one in each hand he dove for the closest giant's ankles and slashed his Achilles tendons. the giant dropped to the floor, lying on its stomach. Arthur wasted no time and ran across the body of the injured giant to launch himself at the other one. Holding his knives so they would impale the giant when he landed, Arthur flew through the air. The other giant was shocked at the action and could not prepare himself. Arthur stabbed him twice in the chest and the giant turned to golden dust.

Arthur walked over to the injured giant and grabbed his head by the hair, "Who sent you here?"

The giant laughed, "No one, we left our main army to stop more demigods from joining the pathetic Roman camp."

Arthur stabbed the giant's forehead with his knife and sheathed his weapons. If what the giant said was true, then he had no time to lose. An army of monsters may be attacking Rome at that very minute. He had no real allegiance to the camp, but people were in trouble. Arthur knew it was his job to help them.

After checking his gear and eating some food, Arthur ran as fast as he could. He felt a pull and figured that was the feeling Lupa mentioned. It took three days for him to reach what he assumed was his destination. He stood on a cliff and saw a highway and a tunnel off to the side. His instincts were pointing towards that tunnel. The only problem was the army of demigods and monsters between him and that tunnel.

 **Thanks for reading guys. I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter is coming soon.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys here is chapter 4. Thanks go out to those taking the time to read this.**

They're going to be overrun, Arthur thought. He set down his pack and pulled out two quivers. One was filled with arrows he used with the Hunt. Most of them were used for hunting and were lethal, but a few were non-lethal and had effects to distract or immobilize monsters. The other quiver was a gift from his Uncle Apollo. It contained all kinds of fun monster vanquishing arrows, as well as some to cause general mayhem.

Arthur slung both quivers on his back, pointing opposite directions, and thanked his uncle for the extra ammunition. He stashed his packed in some nearby bushes and drew his bow. Arthur figured he could come back to this spot after the fight. He zipped his silver hunters jacket up all the way, that way it would cover the bottom half of his face, and it would not get in the way of his fighting.

Arthur stood on the hill and nocked his first arrow. He aimed at a dracanae that was about to cut down a girl from behind. The arrow took flight and the hit its mark. The girl looked up and saw Arthur standing on the ledge and yelled something to her companions. Arthur had no idea what she said, he just continued to find targets to shoot.

If this keeps up I won't have to move at all, Arthur thought. The monsters were not sending anything towards him to stop his arrows. He had shot and killed twenty monsters and the demigods were starting to push back. It seemed as though the demigods were going to win.

The demigods below had mixed in with the monsters to where Arthur did not know if he could get any more effective shots off. He decided to stow his uncle's quiver and grab his pack again. When the battle was over he would have to go down and meet the army he had been assisting. As Arthur put his pack on, he heard the snap of a twig behind him, and he also smelled perfume and fire on the air.

His senses were heightened thanks to his mother's essence. It kept him safe more often than time it informed him that two demigods were attempting to sneak up to his position. A child of Aphrodite and Hephaestus from the smell of things. Arthur mentally cursed himself and changed the names to Venus and Vulcan. He would have to think in Roman terms if he was going to survive with these demigods. He assumed they were the Romans he needed to meet.

"Surrender now archer, and I promise you will have a chance to defend your actions," a female voice called out.

Defend my actions, Arthur thought, what did I do?

"If you do not surrender we will be forced to attack and bring you down forcefully," the voice continued.

Arthur did not want to hurt these people. He was supposed to train with them. Maybe he would be able to share his side of things if he surrendered, then they would see he's not so bad.

"I'm stepping onto the hill where I watched the battle, you can find me there," Arthur called back.

When he stepped out, Arthur saw a small part of the army he had seen marching towards him. They had shields raised and spears pointed in his direction. Was this how they greeted a potential ally? All he had done was shoot arrows at monsters.

Two blades crossed his neck from behind as a voice followed, "Who are you?"

Arthur had to keep up the story that Lupa had given him. He could not tell them who his mother was.

"Just a hero making his way from the Wolf House," he said.

"Why did you attack the Legion?" the first voice asked.

"Are you serious? I was helping you. I shot the monsters," Arthur told her. He could not believe they were accusing him of this. His hand gripped his bow tighter.

"Could we have been mistaken?" the second voice asked.

"No, his arrow missed me only by a little, and it still cut me," the first voice said.

Arthur listened as the two girls argued behind him. Based on the angle of the swords on his neck he could tell these girls were slightly taller than him. He noticed the demigods marching towards him had uneasy looks on their faces. As if they were worried that he would hurt the people behind him. Arthur guessed that the two girls behind him must be the leaders. Arthur smirked as he knew his next move.

He quickly turned and swept his bow at the legs of his supposed captors. As they fell, Arthur flipped over them and drew two arrows. He nocked them on his bow, pointing at the two girls. The army coming closer froze.

"Now," he said to the two girls, "Call off your dogs, and if you happen to be taking me to the camp for demigods, I will gladly go with you."

"Third Cohort, return to the city," the one on the right said.

Arthur withdrew his arrows and helped both girls stand up. He could instantly tell he was right about them being daughters of Venus and Vulcan. The girl on the right looked beautiful, even though she was armed and had just fought a battle. The one on the left had soot and burn scars on her face and arms.

"I'm sorry for my abrupt response," Arthur said, "I was taught to treat girls better than that. I hope you accept my apology."

Both girls looked shocked at what he was saying. They simply nodded before grabbing and stowing their fallen weapons.

"You will understand that we have to detain you. Some of your arrows came dangerously close to members of the Legion, especially me," the daughter of Vulcan said.

Arthur noticed that she was the first person he had helped. A small cut was visible on her face under the soot. Arthur realized that the dracanae must have been closer than he had thought if the arrow grazed her cheek.

"I am sorry for the injury, but at least you are alive," Arthur said.

The daughter of Venus giggled at his comment, "Either way, we need your weapons and will have to restrain your hands."

Arthur sighed, "There's no way around this is there?"

They both shook their heads.

"Fine," Arthur started handing over his bow and knives. They also requested both of his quivers and for him to remove his jacket. After Arthur complied, they placed his hands behind his back and tied them together. Arthur could not believe this was happening, but he stayed quiet. If he fought back and ran, it would probably upset his mother. He sighed and decided to make the best of his situation.

"What are your names?" he asked.

"My name is Stacey and that is Angela," the daughter of Venus said.

"Nice to meet both of you, I'm Arthur."

"What's with the hunter look and the silver?" Angela asked.

Arthur stayed quiet, he was not sure what he was supposed to say to them. He was not able to tell them the truth. Luckily, one of the hunters, a daughter of Athena, taught him how to give information and be vague at the same time.

"You probably won't believe this, but I was trained by the Hunters of Diana. They gave me the jacket so I looked like them," Arthur said.

They both looked at the young man between them. He had to be lying, they thought. No male could survive with the mythical Hunters. They supposedly killed men on site.

"Everything will be cleared up soon," Arthur told them.

They had entered New Rome and Arthur could not help but be amazed. The city sprawled for miles and included training grounds for the younger demigods and a place to live for older ones. Arthur also felt confined, he preferred the openness of the wilderness. The city in front of him made him nervous.

The two demigods, centurions he found out, marched Arthur into the coliseum. He saw the different cohorts assembled in front of him while two figures stood in front of the group. Arthur assumed they were the leaders of the Legion, praetors, Zoe called them.

"Praetors here is the man accused of attacking the Legion," Angela announced for all to hear.

"Thank you Centurion. Place his weapons and gear on the table and he will be questioned," one of the praetors said. He seemed to be about seventeen years old in Arthur's opinion.

Arthur was marched in front of the entire Legion and forced to stand between the praetors and the Legion. He remembered the training his sisters gave and began to take in his surroundings. He saw ways to escape and fight off his potential enemies, but they all ended the same. There were too many potential foes around him.

"State your reasons for attacking the Legion," the second praetor demanded. Arthur could tell that this person had not been praetor long. His voice was still shaky, not enough for a normal person to tell, but Arthur's enhanced senses picked up on it.

Arthur smirked at the Legion in front of him, "Look, this all just a misunderstanding. I was on my way from the Wolf House and saw demigods being attacked. I was simply helping by slaying monsters you were...struggling with."

Outrage rang out from many of the Romans. It seemed to Arthur that he struck a nerve. He could have been a lot blunter with how he told his side of the story.

The older praetor nodded his head, "Lupa would not send an enemy our way. I know you are telling the truth."

"How?" Arthur accused. Several gasps were heard as Arthur addressed the older praetor with disrespect.

"I'm a child of Apollo," the praetor said.

Arthur rolled his eyes. Of course one of the leaders of his current captors would be a child of his uncle. He had adopted the hatred for Apollo's sons from his sisters. They were always trying to show the Hunt up. Arthur wanted to lash out at him, but he kept his peace. It's what his mother would want.

"Well then, you know that I'm here to join the Legion," Arthur said.

"That much can be seen," the praetor continued, "There are still questions we have. Specifically, why do you look like a male version of the Hunters of Diana? Diana would smite you where you stand if she knew."

"I trained with the Hunt, they made me one of them," Arthur said calmly. He did not like what these Romans were insinuating. He felt his anger rising and began to slow his breathing to keep it under control.

"That's impossible," a man in robes yelled out. He walked forward, followed by a kid younger than Arthur.

"As augur, I am the direct connection to the gods from Rome. There is no way that Diana would have a male in her presence. This boy should be executed for blasphemy."

Arthur almost lost it at that moment. This man was calling him a liar and threatening his life. He snapped the ropes that were binding him and raised his fists to fight. At that moment, three flashes of silver light appeared and three young women stood before the Legion. Arthur recognized them immediately.

All the Romans bowed as Zoe stepped forward and shouted, "Why is Arthur held captive?"

Diana put her hand on Zoe's shoulder, "Peace sister. I am here to stop you from killing my champion," she said addressing the Romans.

All of them stood in awe of what Diana was saying. They began to stand and all eyes fell on Arthur. He had not bowed when Diana appeared. In fact he stood with her two attendants trying to keep from laughing. Stacey and Angela looked at each with their mouths hanging open. They could not believe that he was telling the truth.

"I do not understand," the augur began

"Nor should you mortal," Diana cut him off, "Know that I have deemed this male worthy to be my champion and he is to be admitted into this Legion. He has proved to me his skill and I vouch that it will count as his probatio term. Any objections."

All the Romans were silent as Arthur walked up beside Diana. She motioned for the augur to come and initiate Arthur into the Legion. The augur grabbed his arm and Arthur felt a burning sensation as a tattoo drew itself. It had the letters SPQR and the symbol of a bow along with it. Underneath, there was a single line.

"Cool," Arthur said.

"Now I will take my leave as one of your cohorts takes my champion," Diana said. Zoe and Phoebe winked at Arthur before they flashed out. Arthur walked to the table to grab his gear and weapons as the praetors addressed the Legion.

"Cohorts, you have heard the proclamation, who will vouch for the Champion of Diana….what's your name kid?"

Arthur looked up, "Arthur Hunt." He made the last name up off the top of his head. He did not have any other name besides Arthur.

The praetor nodded, "Who will vouch for Arthur Hunt, Champion of Diana?"

Arthur was dismayed at the silence that followed. It seemed that nobody wanted him to be in their cohort. He could not believe it, he had shown them how good of an archer he was during that battle. He realized that this was the curse he would have to bear. No one wanted anything to do with the male that Artemis/Diana acknowledged as her champion. He was an abomination in most of their eyes. Diana was a virgin goddess of maidens, men should have nothing to do with her.

"I will vouch for him," a voice called out.

Arthur looked up and saw Stacey was the one to speak. The rest of the cohorts mumbled about the choice. Arthur tried to ignore what was being said, but it was difficult. The word 'freak' circled around the most. Arthur gave Stacey a grateful look.

"All Romans welcome Arthur Hunt, Champion of Diana and member of the Third Cohort," the praetor announced.

The welcome seemed to be rehearsed. Arthur made his way to Stacey and fell in line with the rest of his cohort. They all glared at him as he took his place. This was going to be difficult, Arthur thought. Little did he know that across the country another twelve year old demigod was having a rougher time, as he was being accused of stealing a symbol of the gods.

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I added the bit about Percy at the end to give some idea of when this is taking place.**

 **It seems like I am updating once a week, so I will try to continue that trend. I know I like when a story is published regularly. Next chapter will probably be another time skip. We will see the Legion before they assault Mount Othrys, when Jason and Reyna become praetors. Thanks again to those who have read and commented. Let me know what you guys think.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey readers. I hope you have been enjoying this story so far. This chapter is a little bit longer than the others have been.**

Three years seem to pass by in a blur to Arthur. Over that time many changes occurred in Arthur's life with the Legion. The biggest was being accepted by his cohort. It was during a game of Siege, the cohort had sent off Arthur and a small group as a diversion. They were meant to be picked off as the main army got through the gates. What they did not expect was for Arthur and his team to succeed in infiltrating the structure and getting the flags before them.

Most of the rest of the Legion still considered him a freak and an outcast though. They would call him names or leave messages that he was not welcome. They gave him a real hard time when he would talk with the fauns and wind spirits. Arthur had met satyrs and other nature spirits during his time with the Hunt. He was taught to treat everyone equally, spirits included. However, most of the Legion saw that as being un-Roman and treated him poorly for it.

However, one of the perks he gained from earning his Cohort's respect was better armor for himself. Angela had noticed his fighting style and that he would usually drop the legionnaire's armor in the middle of combat. She pulled him aside one day and asked him about it. After determining that most armor was restricting to him, Angela agreed to make him some armor that would suit him better. After many prototypes and failed attempts, they both agreed that a chain-mail shirt underneath hardened leather would work the best.

Arthur prayed to his mother for some of the silver she uses in her arrows. He thought it would be better if the armor reflected her in some way. Arthur was blessed with the metal and he and Angela worked tirelessly for a month to construct the armor. When it was finished Angela took it from him for detailing. When she returned it to him two days later his jaw hit the ground. In front of him was a beautiful suit of leather armor. He saw the silver rings sticking out from the hardened black leather sections. The leather was formed to his body perfectly, and Angela said it would change with him thanks to a spell. It had sheathes for some of his weapons built into it and his quivers would not sit uncomfortably. What made it truly special to him was the design Angela had placed on the front, a wolf howling at the moon. That had become his unofficial marker after an all you can eat steak frenzy the Third Cohort had. Arthur like his bloody and everyone joked that he was not human, but in fact a wolf turned human. Arthur didn't help stop that story, instead he would howl during battles to frighten his opponents.

Arthur built himself a daily regimen over the three years. His days were spent training with weapons, lifting weights, and working in the forge with Angela. Arthur learned that Rome respected strength, so he kept training to get stronger. He wanted to be strong, and earn the respect of all the Legion.

He had heard of the Greek demigod camp from his mother and sisters as he was growing up. His mother told him that he would not be welcomed there because he was her adoptive son. Artemis always stressed how Arthur's life would be in danger if the other gods knew about him, except Apollo of course. It was different with the Roman camp. The gods did not interact much with the Romans so there was not as much to fear.

Arthur just wanted to belong to somewhere besides the Hunt. He liked the Hunt, but he thought it would be nice to experience life away from it too. The only problem was, most of the Legion still viewed him as a freak and an outcast. He mentioned it to Zoe several months ago, and she told him she would visit after a quest she was on. That was back in the winter, it was now late summer, and Arthur still had seen no sign of his sister. Arthur fell into a depression that was slowly eating him away, until a new recruit came to join the Legion.

* * *

Arthur was on guard duty one afternoon, and nothing major was happening. The Legion had been on high alert since something shook the ground with much force and devastation. Mount St. Helens had exploded a month prior and everyone was nervous as to what was about to happen. Most of the Romans figured the gods were angry and about to fight, Arthur had a different idea about what was happening.

"This is kind of boring, isn't it?" a blonde boy asked him.

Guarding the tunnel entrance to New Rome was a two person job, no matter how many times Arthur said he could do it alone. Today he was working with Centurion Jason Grace to guard the tunnel. Jason had stepped up when Arthur's partner fell sick. He said something about getting to know Arthur better.

"Yea," Arthur replied, "But it gets me out of the city for a little while."

Jason looked confused, "What's wrong with the city."

Arthur had not meant to speak out loud. Jason seemed like a nice guy, but Arthur had learned not to trust anyone.

"Nothing. I just prefer being out of the cramped spaces and in nature."

Jason nodded, "I can see your point. It is nice to get out once and awhile."

Why did this…..boy wish to make small talk, Arthur thought. He noticed that in his mind he referred to Jason as boy, like his mother does. Maybe Angela was right and he was becoming more like her by the day. His eyes had already turned silver, so it would make sense that the rest of him would become like Artemis.

"You aren't much of a talker are you?" Jason asked.

Arthur sighed. It had been quiet for nearly five whole minutes before he said anything.

Jason started shifting uneasily, "Was it something I said?"

Arthur rolled his eyes, "No, Jason. I don't talk much because I know the majority of the Legion wish I was not around. So I do what I can for them to forget about me."

Jason's eyes went wide, "Why would you say that? I think you are a great member of the Legion."

"I hear what people say about me Jason. It's one of the benefits of being Diana's champion. They all think I am a freak or a bad omen of some kind. Octavian managed to get that message across real easily with that volcano eruption last month," Arthur said. he hated Octavian so much, but the upstart had pull as a centurion and the augur.

"You must be listening to the wrong people," Jason responded, "The Fifth talks about you as a hero. They've even taken up the name the Third gave you."

Arthur snorted, "That name was meant as an insult. They were comparing me to Diana's Hunters."

Jason shook his head, "Well I don't think you've realized that it has become a term of honor. Whenever I hear a person talk about the Venator, they speak in awe of what you can do."

Arthur was about to retort when something caught his eye. Someone was making their way across the street towards the tunnel. She looked out of breath and cut up.

"Look alive, demigod approaching," Arthur told Jason. Jason pulled out his gold coin and summoned his spear. Arthur drew his two gladii, he had been perfecting his dual sword form recently. His dual hunting knife form was fantastic, but he wanted it to be a little deadlier. He figured that using swords instead of knives would achieve that.

As the girl reached the middle of the road, she tripped. The cyclops that was following her started to cross the street as well and was closing on her quickly. Arthur knew he and Jason were not supposed to leave their post, but he could not let a girl get hurt. Jason knew what Arthur was thinking.

"Go save her, I'll cover you in case there's more," he told Arthur.

Arthur moved quickly, his leather armor not impairing his speed in any way. This was probably another trait he picked up from his mother's essence, he could not stand to see girls harmed or mistreated.

"Hey ugly," he called as he neared the cyclops.

The beast turned to be met with three quick slashes from Arthur's swords. It dissolved into a pile of dust and Arthur grabbed the girls prone form. Carrying her over his shoulder he made his way back to the tunnel.

"Set her down, we need to make sure she's okay," Jason said.

Arthur set her down gently and allowed Jason to treat her wounds. Arthur turned to keep his eye out for more monsters. It was strange that the girl only had one on her tail. Usually, if a monster was chasing a demigod this far, there were more with it.

"She's coming to," Jason said.

Arthur turned to see the girl slowly standing on her own. She clutched an Imperial Gold dagger in her hand. She had cuts all over her body, as if she had fought a large battle by herself. Arthur noticed that she had her black hair pulled back in a braid, but several hairs were unruly. He assumed that was from her journey. The girl finally stood up and locked eyes with him. Arthur was surprised that they were black like obsidian. They seemed to be pools that went on forever into nothing. Before he could say anything the girl reacted.

"Who are you? Why did you kidnap me?" she demanded. She had taken up a defensive stance and looked ready to strike at either Arthur or Jason.

"Calm down," Jason said, "You're safe and with friends. My name is Jason, I am centurion of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata, surely Lupa explained things to you."

The girl nodded.

"Then come with us. You are home now," Jason said as he motioned for her to follow him through the tunnel. Arthur walked behind them a couple paces.

As Jason explained things to the girl, Arthur was lost in his thoughts about this new girl. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her defiant attitude when she had woken up reminded him of Zoe. He wanted to get to know her more and be close to her. He knew that he shouldn't though. No matter what Jason said, he knew he was the butt of jokes among the Legion. He would not want to drag someone who seemed as strong as this girl did.

"Hey, earth to Venator," Arthur heard Jason say. He must have spaced out.

"Sorry, what?" Arthur asked.

The girl chuckled, "I said my name is Reyna, what is your's?"

Arthur blushed, "Arthur, and Jase, don't call me that."

"I told you, it's a title with honor now," Jason replied.

Reyna was confused, "Why do you not like the title of Hunter. From what I know of mythology you look like a male version of Diana's Hunters."

Jason decided to add on at this point, "He is her champion."

Reyna's eyes widened, "You must be some hero for the goddess of maidens to accept you as her champion."

Arthur groaned, "Can we stop talking about it. I have to go report, Jase, can you take care of Reyna?"

Jason nodded as Arthur took off towards the Third Cohort's barracks.

Reyna looked to Jason, "What's wrong with him?"

Jason sighed before explaining. He told her how he was treated as an outcast since he had arrived. He described the way many of the Legion would bully him. Jason told her how Arthur's life had become nothing but training and working out. Reyna felt bad for him.

"You seem to be friendly with him though, why does he shy away?" she asked.

Jason shrugged, "He says he no longer trusts anyone in the Legion. He's afraid we will turn on him. For now, let's leave him be. We have to get you into the Legion."

The two walked off, unaware that Arthur had doubled back to watch them from the shadows. He could not get Reyna off his mind. He knew Jason would tell her about him, and he had wanted to see her reaction. He was surprised to see that she seemed sad. Why would someone he just met feel sad that he was alone most of the time?

Arthur looked at the sky and knew he had three hours before roll call and dinner. He would work out until then. He made his way to the outdoor gym and quickly started his routine. About half-way through, Angela, his centurion and friend, came over and stopped him.

"If you keep this up, you're going to damage your body," Angela said.

Arthur put the weights he was lifting back on the rack. He had been bench pressing two hundred and fifty pounds, "Working out is healthy living."

Angela rolled her eyes at him, "Yes, but too much can be bad for you. You're body is already pure muscle, what more do you want."

Arthur sighed and sat up, "You know what I want. I'm never going to get it though."

Angela knew what he meant. He wanted full acceptance in the Legion. She rubbed her forehead as she tried to figure out what to say to Arthur. She had not liked him at first, but he had become her best friend. She did not recommend him as centurion because she knew the rest of the Legion would not accept it.

"You're Cohort accepts you for you, so does the Fifth. Not everyone is liked by everyone," she finally told him.

"Everyone feels like they belong though," Arthur said dejectedly.

Angela sighed and changed the subject, "I heard a new recruit came in today. What's she like?"

Arthur looked away from Angela and stood up, "She's strong. She looked severely injured and still stood to fight off Jason and I. She has a gaze that seems to pierce into the deepest parts of you. Her eyes are black pools of nothingness that seem to go on forever."

"And you love her," Angela interrupted.

"What?" Arthur yelled as a blush covered him, "I do not."

Angela laughed, "I may not be one of Venus' children, but I spent enough time with one. I've learned how to tell when someone has feelings for another."

Arthur groaned, "It doesn't matter. I would just drag her down."

"How can you say that? You are the Venator of the Third Cohort, owner of Lady Trivia's books of good and evil. You are one of the top two players in deathball. Not to mention since you started working out, you've gotten a body Hercules himself would be jealous of." Angela told him.

"Maybe you're right," Arthur said as he began to jump rope. He had to stay limber, Artemis could call him at any moment.

A horn sounded in the distance, announcing it was time for roll call. Angela told Arthur she would see him there. Arthur finished his last jump ropes and went to the locker room. The horn meant thirty minutes until formation, so he grabbed a quick shower and put on his armor.

Since it was made, he pretty much lived in the chain and leather armor. It was only uncomfortable in the mornings, but he had gotten used to it. It was a reminder of his mother and sisters for him. He missed them dearly. Shaking his head to pull himself out of his memories, Arthur grabbed his spear and shield and headed towards the arena.

He arrived before the rest of his Cohort and took his place at the back. The praetors were standing there with Reyna. Arthur stood in his place, looking at the ground, as the rest of the Legion walked in. Several made comments about how the hunter was early to show he could do something right. Arthur glared at the dirt. He had liked when Jason called him Venator, it was Latin for hunter, but everyone else made it seem like a curse.

The praetors finished roll call and introduced Reyna. The Legion was buzzing about the new arrival. Everyone could see potential in her.

"Reyna is the daughter of Bellona, who will stand for her?" the praetor asked.

Everyone was silent. Bellona was a war goddess for them, that meant the potential they saw could be ambition. They did not want to be stepping stones for another's ambition.

"I will stand for her," Arthur could not stop himself. Everyone turned to look at him. Several started joking about rejects knowing their place.

The praetor smiled, "Thank you Venator. Reyna will now be a member of the Third Cohort."

The Third cheered for their new addition. Arthur kept his gaze on Reyna. She was give. Her probatio tablet and her mark, then she stood next to Arthur. Arthur felt his cheeks heat up when she smiled at him. The praetors dismissed the Legion for dinner shortly after Reyna joined the Third.

"So what does standing for me mean?" Reyna asked him.

"I will teach you about the Legion and the duties we have. If you mess up it reflects on me, but don't worry you can't hurt my standing anymore than it is now," Arthur told her.

"Why do you put yourself down like that?" Reyna asked.

"Why do you care?" Arthur retorted.

Reyna looked hurt, and Arthur realized he said that harsher than he meant to. He felt the anger within him growing. He took deep breaths and grabbed Reyna's arm to keep her from leaving.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I have had a rough life since I came here. It comes from being male and having a close relationship with Diana."

Reyna held his gaze, "Maybe if you didn't shut people out things will be better for you."

Arthur nodded, "My sisters have told me that before. I've been hurt too many times so it is difficult."

Reyna looked at him, "My sister and I were servants at Circe's island until a demigod unleashed Blackbeard and his pirates to attack us. Being daughters of Bellona, my sister and I took charge of the ship. After a couple years they got rid of us and I found my way to the Wolf House. I understand having trust issues. I don't trust new people quickly."

Arthur looked at her, "I'm sorry to hear that Reyna. I will try to be better than those that hurt you. I know there is more to your story, but that's your business."

Reyna smiled, "Thank you."

At that point Arthur's stomach growled ferociously. Reynas smile turned into a laugh, "Let's go eat before your stomach goes on a rampage."

They laughed and headed to the dining hall.

 **What did you guys think? I do not remember the books saying which Cohort Reyna was a part of, but for this story she will have to be a part of it.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Wow guys last chapter hit over 1,000 views. I honestly never thought this story would be that well received. Thanks to all those that have read or at least checked this story out. A big thanks to those who reviewed so far. I have had to change a few things about the stories direction, but hopefully you will still like it.**

Dinner was never Arthur's favorite time. The first year and a half that he was with the Legion, Arthur had been treated like one of the fauns. Whenever he tried to sit with a group of demigods, they found a way to keep him from joining them. It reminded Arthur of the high school movies Angela watched as a guilty pleasure. Now though, Angela always had a place for Arthur to sit at her table.

"Arthur, bring the noob over here," Angela called.

Reyna's face reddened slightly at the comment. The two of them sat down on the couch next to Angela. Food was zooming by courtesy of the wind nymphs. One stopped in front of their table to start chatting with Arthur.

"So Reyna, what do you think of our city?" Angela asked.

"It is an amazing sight. I learned much about Rome before coming here, I'm eager to start my training."

Angela nodded, "I'm glad Arthur stood up for you. You seem ambitious, that's not always a bad thing, unlike what many others thought."

Reyna kept her face emotionless. She knew she had ambitions, but she was not going to trample anyone to get there. She assumed many of the Romans feared that about her. Arthur told the two girls he would be back as he followed a wind nymph off to the side.

"Why does he seem so lonely?" Reyna asked.

Angela sighed, "I'm not exactly proud to tell you that, but since he vouched for you it would be good for you to know."

Angela moved a little closer to Reyna so she would not have to yell. She took a drink before beginning her story.

"When Arthur first arrived we were fighting a large force of monsters. He appeared on the ridge above the tunnel and started killing monsters with his bow and arrows. Many arrows nearly missed Romans, but they all hit monsters. He accidentally cut my cheek with one."

Reyna stopped the story for a moment, "Why was he not treated as a hero then. It sounds like he gave support and bailed out the Legion. Single handedly at that!"

"That's what worried us. How could one man do so much damage, or know how to kill that many monsters. So my former partner and I snuck up on him, or at least we thought we did. He showed us how good his sense really are. He fought and resisted at first, but eventually came willingly. He was questioned about his intent and the augur threatened him with blasphemy when he claimed to be acquainted with Diana and her Hunters. Well, Diana showed up and claimed him as champion, and that caused us to be uneasy about him. The Third claimed him, as Diana said his service to her counted for his probatio, but we still did not trust him. We treated him as trash and forced him to do all the grunt work, by himself sometimes. That lasted for two years," Angela paused to eat some more and drink a little bit.

Reyna could not believe what she was hearing. Arthur was a strong warrior, and they treated him almost as a slave, just because the goddess of maidens named him champion. We're the Romans really that petty? She told herself that she would change that if she gained power. Based on everything Jason said, Arthur should be lauded as a hero.

"What happened after two years?" Reyna asked.

Angela chewed slowly before swallowing, "Ever since Arthur arrived here and we treated him poorly he trained and built muscle nonstop. He took the idea of Rome respecting strength literally. Then during a game of siege, he led a diversionary force that won the game before we could act. His team said he was like a wolf hunting his prey when they made it on the wall. No one stood against him. From that day, respect for him has grown, but I fear he does not see it."

Angela stopped talking with a sad look in her eyes. Reyna could not help but feel sorry for Arthur. She could tell Angela hated the way she acted towards him.

"Is it only the Third and Fifth that treat him as a hero then?" Reyna could not stop her curiosity. She looked over at Arthur and the wind nymph, the nymph was talking animatedly and Arthur's face was impassive.

Angela nodded, "Yes, but I'm doing what I can for him. Ever since he started helping in the forges, Arthur has become like a little brother to me."

"Well it looks like your brother is about to kill somebody," Reyna said as she pointed to where Arthur was standing.

* * *

The wind nymph told Arthur that she had received a message from Artemis. His eyes had widened when she used the Greek name for his mother. He quickly excused himself from Reyna and Angela and followed the nymph off to the side.

"How do you know about me?" Arthur asked.

The nymph blushed, "All nature spirits know about the rumored son of Artemis. We know that you were trained to respect nature more than other demigods."

Arthur must of had a worried look on his face because the nymph put a hand on his arm. Her touch was gentle, like a soft breeze.

"You have nothing to fear, we keep your existence secret as a favor to your mother," the nymph smiled at him after she said that. Arthur felt the worry ease off of his face.

"What does my mother need?" Arthur asked her.

The nymph sighed heavily, "She wanted to warn you that a large group of monsters is on its way to attack New Rome. Her reports say that their presence is being hidden by Hecate, or Trivia for these Romans. She seemed to think you had a good relationship with the minor God and that maybe you could sway the battle."

Arthur kept his face emotionless, but inside he was in turmoil. Hecate had blessed him when he found the books of her famous son, Merlin. The quest had been to scout movements of the Titan army, the Legion had figured a hunter would be a good addition to the team. While on the quest, Arthur had gotten separated and stumbled upon a cave. Inside he found two books and the goddess Hecate. Arthur thought he would be killed since she was a part of the Titan's army, but instead Hecate talked to him first.

He told her who he really was and then asked why she fought for the Titans. When she explained that she wanted to be recognized by Olympus, Arthur discovered he could relate to her. He wanted acceptance from the other gods as the adopted son of Artemis. Hecate favored Arthur and offered her blessing, allowing him to control magics like her children. She also gifted him with the two books, the necronomicon and the zoinomicon, a book of death magics and a book of life magics respectively. Maybe that interchange is why his mother thought he could sway the battle, Arthur thought.

"When will they be here?" Arthur asked, he could hear the frantic sound of his voice as he asked.

"Sometime soon is all I know," the nymph replied.

Arthur bowed his head a little, "Thank you for the news. Bad news is always a little better when delivered by a pretty face."

The nymph blushed as Arthur winked at her. Arthur was about to head back to Reyna when a thought occurred to him. He turned back to the nymph.

"Did my mother mention anything about Zoe? I have not heard from her in months."

The nymph's smile fell faster than anything Arthur had ever seen. Artemis had said something about Zoe to the nymph then. What could possibly be so bad?

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but Zoe died while rescuing Artemis last winter. She and some demigods, including a man named Lercy Jackson that the naiads won't stop talking about saved your mother. Unfortunately, the cost was Zoe's life," the nymph said softly.

Arthur felt the world around him crumble. His favorite sister, his Zee, was dead. No wonder he had not heard from her. Anger and sorrow began to build up inside of Arthur. He tried to remember his meditative breathing, knowing that Zoe would not want him to lash out rashly. Unfortunately, the centurion of the First Cohort walked up behind him.

"Bowing to servants, you really are a piece of trash. Diana must not be as great of a goddess if this is her champion," the foolish centurion said.

Arthur felt the heritage of his father take over him. The Legacy of Mithras, that he worked so hard to control, erupted through his veins. Arthur grabbed the centurion by his neck and slammed him into the wall of the dining hall, with his eyes blazing orange. He heard voices cry out for him to stop, but the only thought he had was to drain the life from this ignorant Roman. He pulled out one of his hunting knives ready to strike.

Reyna and Angela had never been so terrified. They ran to Arthur as soon as he put the centurion into the wall. They called to him to stop him from doing something foolish, but it seemed as though Arthur could not hear them. Reyna gasped when she saw what seemed like fire coming out of Arthur's eyes.

"Arthur, enough!" Angela finally yelled, placing her hand on Arthur's as he drew his hunting knife.

Arthur turned to look at her with his flaming eyes. It seemed as though his face calmed a little. Arthur released the centurion and the fires in his eyes died down. Angela gasped when she saw his silver eyes were filled with tears. Arthur turned away and ran off.

"What was his problem?" The centurion from the First demanded, "I will have him punished."

"You're lucky he did not kill you," Reyna told him as she punched his face.

"Legionnaires!" a voice yelled.

All three turned to see one of the praetors heading their way. Angela did not want to stand here, she needed to find Arthur and find out what is wrong. Even Reyna looked in the direction he ran with a worried look.

"Centurion Angela and recruit Reyna, go find your Cohort member, something must be wrong for him to react like that."

Angela and Reyna gave the praetor a confused look. They both had expected punishment for what had happened.

"I saw what occurred," the praetor told them, "I know who is really at fault."

Angela and Reyna expressed their thanks and ran off to find Arthur. As they ran they heard the praetor start to yell at the centurion. They both smiled as they heard the suggested punishments.

Angela knew where Arthur would run to. New Rome had a small patch of woods within its boundaries. Arthur would retreat there whenever he wanted to be alone. Angela had followed him there the day she finished his armor. He had been so excited that he just took off. Angela was concerned so she followed him and heard him talking to the sky. She figured he was thanking Diana and showing her the fruits of their labor.

When the approached the small thicket, Angela motioned for Reyna to stand guard while she went inside. She did not know what to expect from Arthur, but she knew he would not want Reyna to see it.

"Arthur, where are you?" she called out.

Silence answered her. She slowly crept through the trees making her way towards the small stream that cut the woods in half. She was not sure why that was her destination, but she somehow knew that's where Arthur would be.

As she drew close to the stream a voice called to her, "Why did you follow me again?"

"C'mon Arthur you know why I'm here," she responded.

"Gotta make sure all your legionnaires are still functioning right centurion," Arthur did not try to hide the spite in his voice.

"On one hand yes," Angela knew it was best to be honest with him, "I also came to make sure my friend was okay. You seemed really sad and angry back there. Please come out and talk to me."

Angela moved out into the open where she saw Arthur sitting in a meditative position. He was giving off a strange orange glow, and seemed to be concentrating hard. Angela wondered what was wrong with him.

"I got some bad news is all, add it on top of everything else and it explains why I snapped like that," Arthur said quietly.

Angela frowned, "That's not good enough. You will tell me or I will have to make you with my hammer."

While most in the Legion carried swords, Angela carried a warhammer. Being the daughter of Vulcan it came more naturally to her than anything else. Other Romans laughed at it, until she told them it was 'hammer time.'

"What do you want from me Angela? You know I don't talk to anyone about myself," Arthur said. The orange glow around him was disappearing.

"I want you to let someone in for once. I'm offering to help you with whatever happened."

Arthur's body went rigid. He knew that Angela was the closest thing he had to a friend, but could he trust her. She would probably abandon him as soon as he told her the truth. That's why he kept to himself, he liked the relationship he had with Angela. The truth about his heritage would only ruin things.

Angela walked over to Arthur and sat down next to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulder, leaning her head against his, "Please talk to me Art. I want to help you and I can only do that if you're honest with me."

Arthur sighed, "You don't understand. Knowing the truth about me can be dangerous for anyone who finds out. I'm already a freak, if everyone finds out more about me they'll treat me worse."

Angela could not believe what she was hearing, "You think I would tell someone? How many secrets have we shared while working in the forge? Did I tell anyone then? I thought we had grown into close friends, but it seems like that was only on my side."

Angela was mad. She unwrapped her hands and stood up to leave. She was almost to the tree line when a weight caught her from behind. She was knocked to the ground as two arms wrapped around her waist.

"Please don't leave," Arthur pleaded.

Angela rolled over to see tears in his eyes. She sat the two of them up and embraced him again, "Then tell me everything."

Arthur looked up at her, silver eyes meeting brown, and nodded. He began to tell her his life story. He explained that his real father was a legacy of Mithras, affected by the curse all demigods of Mithras have. He told her how he was born as a clear sighted mortal, his father's godly heritage was dormant within him. Angela gasped when Arthur explained what happened with Artemis and how she adopted him. He did not even try to use Artemis' Roman name. Arthur talked about how he grew up with the hunt and received most of his training there. Then, he explained that his father's godly heritage had to be controlled. Artemis taught him meditation techniques to keep it under control. He brought his story to a close by explaining how Lupa required him to be trained in Rome.

"So you are a descendent of Rome, who was adopted by a Greek god?" Angela asked.

Arthur nodded.

"Do the Greeks still exist?"

"I do not know," Arthur answered, "I never met anyone outside of the Hunt except Apollo. Why should that matter?"

Angela rubbed her arm, "Greeks and Romans have always been enemies. We should know if there is a chance of an attack."

Arthur looked at Angela, "I'm sure there will be nothing to worry about."

Angela nodded, "I can't help but notice, you did not explain why you are so upset."

Arthur stared at the ground, "That nymph brought me a message from my mother, warning me of an attack. I was going to tell you and the praetors but I also asked about my favorite sister, Zoe."

Arthur paused at the mention of her name. He would never see Zee again, and it hurt him more than anything else. She taught him so much over the years, and now she would never see how he grew up.

"The nymph," Arthur continued, "She told me that Zoe was killed on the Winter Solstice last year by her father, Atlas. My mother was in trouble and Zoe went on a quest with some other demigods to save her. Some guy named Percy Jackson helped save mother, but they could not save Zoe."

Arthur broke down into sobs, and Angela held him tightly. She understood why the other Romans treated him poorly now. Unconsciously, they must somehow realize he is a descendent of Mithras, a cult that became hated by Rome, until the god faded. She did not realize his lineage survived, Arthur was probably the last one. That, accompanied with his Greek adoption, caused Arthur to be a potential enemy of Rome on two fronts. However, he defended Rome from his first arrival. Angela's respect for the young man grew, and she swore that she would see him get the respect he deserved.

Arthur stopped sobbing and stood with Angela, "I need to go train and workout."

Angela stopped him, "No you need to rest and recover. You just received terrible news and need to settle your mind."

Arthur shook his head, "I can smell Reyna at the edge of the woods, she need her teacher. Plus I need to be stronger. I swear that I will do everything in my power to keep my sisters from the same fate as Zoe."

Angela's eyes widened, "That's impossible. How can you possibly protect them from everything?"

Arthur sighed, "I don't know, but I can try. Also we have to get ready, the army could be at our doorstep any minute."

Angela nodded and the two hurried out of the woods. She felt honored that Arthur had opened up to her. She would keep his secrets to prove his trust was not wasted. Although he did say something that caused her to grin mischievously.

"So you know Reyna's scent huh?"

Arthur looked at her, "Yea, it's hard to mistake for anyone else. She smells like the woods after a rainstorm, probably the best scent in the world. It figures it would be her scent, since she is beautiful and..."

Arthur cut himself off and started blushing furiously. Angela laughed.

"So you love Reyna?"

"No I don't," Arthur whisper yelled, they had reached the edge of the woods and Reyna was nearby.

Angela smirked, "So you're interested in another girl? Say a daughter of Vulcan?"

As Angela said that she batted her eyes teasingly at Arthur. That caused him to blush harder than before. He would tell nymphs and girls they were pretty, but he never was really flirting with them. He was uncomfortable with flirting honestly.

"Angela, I don't think I can have a relationship. Diana's Hunters swear of romantic attachment so I figure I should too. Plus you're like my sister," Arthur told her. Reyna looked at the two of them with a slight glare towards Angela.

Angela laughed and slapped Arthur on the back, "Do not worry little brother. I feel the same as you towards our relationship, it is fun to see how many different colors your face will turn."

Arthur grimaced at Angela's antics, "Come on centurion, we have to warn the praetor, and I have to train the newbie."

Angela smirked. The three of them headed towards the dining hall to inform the praetor of the incoming monster attack. Reyna was yelling at Arthur most of the way about how she will kick his butt if he calls her a newbie again. Angela laughed as she watch the two. Arthur may be oblivious or was trying to hide his feelings for his mother's sake, but she saw the grin on his face as Reyna slapped his shoulders.

 **Necronomicon is a creation of H.P. Lovecraft. It is the book of the law of the dead. Zoinomicon is just something I came up with to be the opposite of the necronomicon.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Tomorrow is Veteran's Day here in the United States. Take some time to thank a member of he armed forces, a vet or an active duty member, for all the do or have done.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey readers. I would like to first apologize for the long wait on this chapter. I said I would try to do one every week, but it figures that after I say that things get incredibly busy. to make up for time lost this chapter will be longer, please enjoy.**

Arthur groaned as he felt the heat from the sun hit his face. It was the Friday after Reyna arrived in Camp Jupiter. Arthur had been training her day after day. Her skills with a knife were unparalleled by anyone in the Legion in Arthur's opinion. She would fit in well with his mother's hunters. Her spirit and tenacity reminded Arthur of his sisters. The two of them had become friends over the short period of time.

They spent most of the day training together, usually until Reyna almost passed out from exhaustion. Arthur would tease her about being too weak to stay awake, but she always got him back in the mornings. Being the adopted son of Artemis, he felt most powerful at night when the moon was out. Every night when the Cohort would bed down, Arthur would usually sneak out. He would train his senses and abilities that came Artemis. With those abilities he was able to pick up the scent of the monster army, with that he estimated how far the army was. His best estimate had the monster army arriving that evening unless they ran most of the way.

"Wake up lazy," Reyna's voice rang out. She smacked Arthur on the forehead, causing him to groan louder. He had been up all night using the necronomicon to place traps, and the zoinomicon to form invisible barriers. If the magic energy he put into the spells held up, he would have created a funnel for the monsters to run into his traps. The problem was the spells fed off of his life force as he castes each one. He almost did not make it back to the barracks until two hours ago, and that was with ambrosia healing him.

"I don't wanna," Arthur complained. Reyna giggled at his antics.

"You already missed morning formation. Angela had to cover for you. Now ge up, we have training with the Fifth today," Reyna berated.

Arthur swung his arm, "Go away Reyna."

Reyna rolled her eyes and grabbed the edge of Arthur's mattress. Her combat training of using an opponent's weight against them paid off as she heaved the mattress up. The result was Arthur tumbling out of his blankets onto the floor in a heap of leather armor.

"That's why you're so sore," Reyna commented, "Angela and I both told you to quit sleeping in your armor."

Arthur waved her off. He always slept in his armor. Artemis trained him to be ready at any instance, plus it helped build his tolerance for discomfort. "Old habits die hard Reyna. Now what were you saying about training?"

Reyna sighed heavily, "Listen up Wolf Face, we have training with the Fifth, and today's the day I show up that cocky son of Zeus who leads them."

Arthur smirked at Reyna's nickname for him. She heard him howl during the war games earlier in the week and instantly came up with it. "Jason doesn't mean to come across as cocky. He just wants to help with your training."

Reyna stomped her foot, "Well he shouldn't talk to me as if I am inexperienced then. I probably know more about fighting thanks to who my mother is than he will ever know."

Arthur shook his head. Jason had come to help teach Reyna swordsmanship since Arthur was barely capable of using one himself. Arthur preferred his large bronze hunting knife, and silver throwing knives to a sword. Unfortunately, all in the legion had to know how to use one. Reyna was very proficient with the blade and understood how to use it most effectively, but Jason had the experience. The two were a match for each other, but undoubtedly, Jason would point out small flaws in Reyna's form and she would get upset. Arthur had to separate them three times this week alone already.

"Well come on, we won't know if today's the day if we don't get to the Fields of Mars," Arthur said. He decided to not bring up the fact that Reyna had been incorporating some of Jason's pointers after each time he corrected her.

As Reyna dragged Arthur towards the Fields of Mars he took a flask off of his hip. It was his emergency supply of nectar. After draining the majority of his energy the night before, Arthur knew he needed a pick me up. He also ate an ambrosia square to help relieve his exhaustion. For demigods, too much of the food and drink of the gods could burn them up, but the godly part of Arthur's DNA was more pure since Artemis fused her blood with him. The result was the ability to enjoy more of the godly meal than others. Even so, he tried not to rely on them much.

As the Fields came into view, Reyna and Arthur were greeted with the site of two cohorts in formation. Great, Arthur th out. He knew Angela would give him the business for being late. As he and Reyna reached their cohort, Angela did not disappoint.

"Now that the great Venator has decided to grace us with his presence, maybe we can begin with training today," Angela yelled. Both cohorts snickered and comments were made about why both he and Reyna were late.

Jason moved in front of the two cohorts, "Today you will be paired off to help strengthen your weaker areas of combat. The partners were based on who needs help and who can provide it. There are some pairings that mix the cohorts. The lists are on this post next to me. Training begins in fifteen, find your partner and grab some space."

Both cohorts formed an orderly mob to figure out who their partner was. Many of the teachers were from the Third, since the Fifth was significantly weaker. Arthur and Reyna were the last to check their names.

"Dang it," Reyna groaned.

"At least you're training with Jason. He knows how to work with people. Angela just keeps swinging her hammer and expects you to figure out what you need to do," Arthur said.

"Quit whining Arthur and get your scrawny wolf butt over here," Angela called.

Arthur shook his head as he and Reyna parted. Angela had a Roman shield and gladiator in front of her. Arthur picked them up knowing what Angela wanted to work on.

"You are a great fighter Arthur," she began.

"Just not with the traditional weapons of Rome right?" Arthur finished.

Angela nodded, "Exactly. We are going to spar, you cannot draw your knives, bow, or any other weapons. You will use the gladius and that shield only."

Arthur groaned, but agreed. He grabbed the scutum in his left hand and the gladius in his right, and turned to face Angela. She stood ready with her scutum and warhammer. The hammer was made completely out of Imperial Gold, one of the only Imperial Gold weapons the Legion currently had, and was heavy enough to put a hole in metal armor when swung at full power. Very few had ever beaten her when she wielded that hammer, and now Arthur was facing it without his preferred weaponry.

Angela swung her hammer in a downward arc to start their sparring match. Arthur dodged backwards, and then used his momentum to propel him into a lunge. Angela was waiting for the maneuver and countered his lunge with her shield. After bashing his sword to the side, Angela swung the hammer to strike Arthur's left side. Arthur leaned into his shield to provide weight so the strike would not knock him off balance.

"You are improving in your stance," Angela commented.

Arthur grimaced, "I had too. You were starting to leave bruises that were not healing."

The two combatants stepped back from each other to begin again. This time Arthur led with the attack. Adjusting his scutum so that he could move it easier, he lashed out with a direct slash towards Angela. She simply sidestepped the attack, causing Arthur to overextend himself and expose his bare back. Arthur was still clad only in his leather armor, and a direct blow from the hammer may paralyze him. Angela knew this, but she also knew he would have to learn not to expose any weakness the hard way.

Angela swung her hammer in a quick strike towards the middle of Arthur's back. She expected to hear a sickening crunch as the blow connected, but instead heard the sound of metal on metal. She looked to see that Arthur had spun around just in time to block the strike with his shield. Angela was impressed, so much that she almost missed the follow up strike from his gladius.

She could not block and had to quickly duck out of the way. The strike put her off balance and she had to quickly move away from Arthur. Arthur turned to face her with a sly grin.

"Almost had you there Angela," Arthur chuckled.

"Don't gloat yet Wolf Boy," Angela said. With a roar she flung her shield towards Arthur. He brought his up to deflect the attack, but was unable to stop Angela's follow up. She gripped her hammer with two hands and brought it down in a tremendous overhead swing. Arthur rolled backwards, losing his shield as the hammer dug up the ground in front of him. Angela quickly recovered and pressed her advantage. Her hammer's shaft was long enough for her to wield two-handed if need be and allowed her to parry sword strikes easier. If Arthur parried the wrong strike, her hammer would destroy his sword.

Angela continued to push Arthur until he stumbled slightly. Any who had just met Arthur would not have noticed, thanks to the blessings he had from Artemis, but Angela had watched him move for years as they sparred. As he started to stumble, she reached out her hammer in an arc which would lead behind his ankles and brought him down. Arthur landed on his back with Angela's hammer hovering over his head.

"Gotcha," she said.

Arthur sighed, "You know I don't need a sword. Between my bow and my knife, I'm either too far away or too close for my enemies."

Angela shook her head, "That is not the point. As Romans we work together in formations. Those formations rely on the use of certain weapons. A bow is not a part of that."

"Then why do we have archers?" Arthur inquired. He was deliberately trying to stop her argument.

"Even archers aren't safe in the distance," Angela replied.

Arthur rolled his eyes, "When has any of my tactics caused us difficulty Angela?"

Angela sighed, "That's not the point. I may not be around all the time. What happens when a new centurion takes my place because I die or retire early, and you're still in the cohort? They probably won't like having the wild card you are and give you two options. Act Roman, or be punished."

Arthur looked down, "I know Angela, it's just difficult for me to fight like that. You know who my mother and sisters are. I would much rather fight like them."

Angela smiled and helped Arthur stand, "I know my friend. One day you may return to them, until then, you need to understand how to fight like a true Roman."

Arthur laughed as they hugged each other. Ever since Arthur told her the secret of his heritage the bond they shared had only grown stronger. Throughout the past week Angela had asked Arthur questions to understand what it was like to grow up under a Greek goddess. She was shocked to hear how much he had learned and was capable of. Of course she knew about his nightly excursions now. She told Arthur that as long as his duties were taken care of she would work it out with the praetors. Arthur was like her little brother, and she was going to help him as much as she could.

The two looked around to see how the others were faring. They found that most had finished their sparring and had their eyes locked on two fighters, Reyna and Jason. Arthur knew Reyna had to be getting better with her sparring. Jason had taught her proper sword forms, but Arthur had shown her how to fight to win. His sisters told him that as long as he was in the right, to do whatever it took to win, including fighting dirty. Arthur had shown several tricks to Reyna, and he knew she used them. Jason, however, usually could see them coming, Reyna lacked subtlety, and would counter them. Arthur assumed this fight would go the same way as the others. Reyna would almost win, but Jason would manage to pull something off to beat her.

When Arthur laid eyes on the two sparring, he could not have been more wrong. Reyna was lashing out as Jason, a gladius in one hand and a dagger in the other. She flowed like water, striking and pulling back to find a better way to strike. Her motions were beautiful and deadly in Arthur's eyes. She moved like a hunter and Arthur could not help but be impressed. Jason was barely able to parry or strike. It was obvious he was on his last leg in the fight, and he had to come up with something quick or else he would lose. Arthur felt the air change suddenly.

"That's a rotten trick to pull while sparing," he muttered.

Angela gave him a curious look, "What?"

"Just watch," Arthur told her.

Jason's face suddenly was concentrating hard and thunder rumbled. A bolt of lightning struck the ground, aimed at Reyna. Apparently she knew it was coming and flipped backwards. As she landed and the bolt cleared, Reyna rushed forward at Jason and swept his legs out from underneath him. Summoning the bolt took a lot out of him, causing him to fail in his defense. Reyna swiftly pounced on top of him, holding her dagger to his neck.

"Yield!" Reyna demanded.

Jason nodded and Reyna got off of him. The cohorts were stunned momentarily before the Third rushed forward and hoisted Reyna on their shoulders, congratulating her on her accomplishment. Even members of the Fifth were proud of Reyna, although many were upset that she beat their centurion. Arthur made his way to Reyna when she was put down to congratulate her, when everything turned sour.

The sentries horns began sounding through Camp Jupiter, signaling a monster attack. Arthur could not believe, the monster army had run the last leg to catch the demigods off guard. Arthur hurried to the top of a tower that had yet to be torn down on the Fields of Mars. Once at the top he was able to spy the army as it moved towards the camp. Dracanae, cyclops, hell hounds, and Griffins made up most of the ranks. A few Giants were mixed in as well. Arthur was more afraid of any named monsters that may be there. As he scanned the army his heart sank, in the middle was the Hydra.

He dropped down from the tower and rushed to Angela, "It's the army I mentioned. They're here early."

Angela's eyes widened, "Most of the Legion is unaware. We are the only two cohorts armed at the moment."

Jason rushed over after hearing what was happening, "What can we do?"

Arthur smirked, "I have a plan that is already in place. As a hunter I figured it would be wise to set traps for the prey."

Jason's eyes widened, "How did you know they were coming?"

Arthur smiled wolfishly, "Blessing of Diana. If you want my plan to work, gather as much nectar and ambrosia as you can, each legionnaire will need to be at full strength. I will take the archers to hold the army back."

Angela did not like the idea, "They won't follow you. You are not an officer. Not to mention trying to hold off an army with only archers is suicide!"

Arthur shook his head, "Trust me, the spells I placed will help and we can hold them. Just don't take forever forming up and reinforcing us."

Angela and Jason were both apprehensive about agreeing to Arthur's plan. It seemed like suicide to them to face an army with only two cohorts. They knew the others would be gearing up and forming a defensive steategy soon, and he Third and Fifth would be a part of it. However, Angela knew that this plan could catch the enemy off guard. They would know the Romans would take time to form a plan. That time would give the monsters a way to find an advantage against the demigods. It's Arthur's plan, they could strike hard and fast and the First, Second, and Fourth could help clean up.

Angela looked at Jason who seemed to have come to the same conclusion. They did not like the plan, but it was the best they had to save many lives. Jason nodded to Arthur and turned to the cohorts.

"Archers on the Venator! Medics gather what supplies you can and disperse them. The archers will begin the defensive while the rest of us will regain our strength and provide reinforcements. The Venator will determine target priority and will lead the defense until we arrive. The fate of the Camp and the lives of our friends and family are riding on this defensive. If we can hold the army here, then we have determined the battle field, and we will certainly win!"

A roar erupted from the two cohorts. Arthur had to admit, Jason knew how to boost the confidence of his troops. As the archers from both cohorts formed up in four ranks Arthur bid goodbye to Angela. The two surrogate siblings grasped arms

"Good luck my friend," Angela said.

"You also, please hurry," Arthur whispered the last part.

Angela smiled, "Don't worry. Remember, what we do in life echoes in eternity."

Arthur smiled and kissed her cheek before turning to leave. As he met the archers, he noticed Reyna staring at him. He locked eyes with her. She had a worried look on her face watching him head to battle.

"See you on the field Rey Rey," Arthur teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Stay safe Wolf Face. If you die, I'm stuck training with Jason," she responded.

Arthur laughed, then hurried off to join the ranks of archers. They all cheers when he joined them. Even though they were inevitably marching to their deaths, they were glad to be led by him. Arthur could not believe it, some of these soldiers hated him not too long ago, now they wanted to be friends. He smiled, maybe he was gaining a new family after all this time.

At the edge of the field were two small groups of trees. Arthur knew they would provide cover for the archers from and kind of return fire. He had thirty archers at his disposal, and he. Rome them into groups of fifteen. He stationed one group in either patch of trees and took up a spot in the middle. It was not as covered, but it was in earshot of both groups so he could give commands and assist as needed. The monsters were just in range of the Romans bows, so Arthur prepared his men.

"Men, this day is a day for us to prove ourselves. Our cohorts may not be the best in the eyes of the Legion, but today we will prove ourselves. We may not survive this day, but we will put up a fight that will be spoken of in legends to come. Legends of how thirty archers held off an army to protect their friends, lovers, and families. We will hold this position, and hold off that army until we are either reinforced or we die. Romans, it is my honor to fight beside each of you this day."

The archers, who originally were unsure of the plan Arthur had come up with, were now ready for the fight to come. Arthur gave them target priorities. They were to focus on anything fast or flying. Particularly the hell hounds and griffons. Those monsters would swarm their positions if they could.

Arthur pulled out his most prized possession, his bow. His mother had made it for him herself. It shimmered with a silver glow just as hers did. Arthur always felt close to her when he held it, he hoped she would guide his aim today. Drawing a silver arrow from his Hunter quiver, he drew back his arrow.

"When my target goes down, release your first volley, then you may fire at will," he called out to the archers.

Arthur breathed slowly three times, sighting in his target. He exhaled and released the taut string to let his arrow fly. It soared through the air, unhindered by wind it seemed. In fact, to the untrained eye it seemed like the arrow bent the wind to its will. The arrow lost little speed thanks to the draw weight and magic of Arthur's bow. With a loud 'shunk' the arrow embedded itself in the forehead of a Laistrygonian Giant. The arrow stood out between the beast's eyes for a second, then the giant fell forward crushing three other monsters before turning to dust.

The monsters roared as more arrows rained down on them. Hell hounds and griffons turned to dust quickly before the monsters could get organized. After three volleys, the griffons and hell hounds broke formation and charged the archers. Arthur gave the order to split the shooters, eight would defend the other seven from melee combat. Meanwhile the seven would continue to fire.

Arthur used had switched to the quiver his uncle Apollo had given him after the first shot. It was filled with many trick arrows. They made shooting into numbers much easier. Unfortunately, the monsters were closing quicker than he was ready for. He placed his bow on his back and drew his Celestial Bronze Bowie knife and one of his silver throwing knives. Close combat was his favorite, and he was quite vicious at it.

Hell hounds fell with his blades, as dead griffons rained from the sky. Arthur under assist the other archers by shooting some of the hounds they struggled to kill. After thirty long minutes, most of the archer's arrows were spent, and the ground was littered with monster dust. No one had died, but several of the archers were severely wounded. It seemed as though the last remaining hell hounds retreated to regroup. Arthur could smell them off to the left gathering their numbers. He quickly glanced at the position of the army which had changed direction. Instead of marching toward the gates of Camp Jupiter, they were making a direct approach towards the Fields of Mars. Arthur smirked, that meant that they would trigger his barrier and death traps any moment now.

"Venator, what do we do now?" one of the archers asked.

Arthur examined his small force of archers, the cohorts should be on their way to the battlefield, "We will hold our ground and defend Rome. Gather what arrows you can salvage quickly, and prepare for close quarters combat."

The archers nodded and swapped their bows for the shields on their backs, except for the few who would continue to shoot. Those with medic training, treated wounds as quickly and efficiently as they could. Arthur passed around pieces of ambrosia, and prayed that they could hold until Jason and Angela showed up.

"Form up on me," Arthur shouted, "Wedge formation." Arthur knew this formation would make him a focus point of the charging army, but he needed to be up front to trigger his spells.

The monster army was closing fast, and Arthur knew it was now or never. He raised his hands in front of him and focused on the strange runes written into the ground. As soon as he triggered them he knew his energy would drain and he would be weak, but the payoff should be the greatest benefit.

"Venator, what are you doing?" The archer directly behind him asked.

"I placed traps for the army out here. They were made with the two spellbooks holstered on my back and need concentration to be set off," he replied.

"What kind of….."

The archer was cut off as Hades itself seemed to be unleashed upon the army in front of them. First, an invisible wall stopped the movement of the flanks of the army, funneling all the monsters to the middle. Next, an immense conflagration erupted through the enemy's lines, incinerating many where they stood. The final trap was set off when a loud sonic scream pierced the air. The archers watched in awe as more monsters fell to the ground clutching their ears before turning to dust.

Arthur sagged and would have fallen if not for the shield he was leaning on. The rune traps were successful, but now he was starting to lose consciousness. The archers cheered, unaware of the state of their leader. Suddenly, a flash of black fur appeared in front of them as one of the remaining hell hounds leapt onto Arthur's shield and bit his shoulder.

Arthur let loose a terrible howl into air as pain coursed through his right arm. The hell hounds bite felt like it was burning as he struggled to get the beast off. The other archers stared in fear as their leader fought the beast. To their amazement a silvery aura began to form around the Venator.

Arthur felt the familiar feel of the power of the the Curse of Mithras surging through him. He knew it was dangerous, but to protect the men behind him, who had been treating him with respect and familiarity, he had to tap into it. As he left the Fields of Mars he had felt a sense of family with the Third and Fifth Cohort, and he had to protect it. Abandoning all reason, and remembering the hell hounds that hurt Zoe all those years ago, Arthur let the Curse fill him with power.

The first thing he noticed was the energy felt different. Usually the Curse of Mithras felt like angry energy. It filled him full of hate and rage most of the time. This time however, it felt calmer. As if i was helping him to protect the Romans behind him. Had the feelings of family earlier helped soothe the curse? Arthur did not care right then, what was important was he had power to fight on.

He grabbed the top of the hell hounds jaw and lifted it back until he had opened the beast's mouth much farther than it was ever meant to go. The hell hounds turned to dust in his hands, as Arthur turned to face the charging army. He leaned back and releases a howl to threaten the oncoming monsters, and then ran at them by himself.

Angela and Jason had hurried their cohorts to prepare for battle. After thirty minutes, they were marching to the defense of their home. Angela prayed to lady Diana that her champion would be safe, as did many others. As they approached the battlefield they saw the mountains of monster dust covering the area, the archers had been busy. Most of the legionnaires were impressed, but they could not celebrate.

The monster army seemed drastically reduced, but it was charging full force. Angela saw flames going out further in the field and assumed that was a part of Arthur's spell traps. She smiled for a second at his ingenuity, but it was quickly replaced by a look of horror. In front of all the archers, Arthur was glowing with power and ripping a hell hound's head in half.

Reyna moved next to her, "It's like when he surged with power the other day right?"

Angela nodded, "We have to stop him. If he loses control he will probably do something suicidal."

As soon as the words were out of Angela's mouth, both cohorts witnessed Arthur howl and charge the army by himself.

"Like that," Angela sighed, "Third Cohort! Are we going to let Arthur have all the fun in this fight?"

A chorus of disgruntled yells filled the air. Angela was glad to see her troops were ready for the fight. She glanced over at Jason and the Fifth, many of them looked like they wanted to charge into battle as well.

"Grace," Angela called to Jason, "Give the orders."

Jason smiled and nodded before yelling, "Cohorts! Defend your home!"

Both the Fifth and Third started to run towards the oncoming two had merged into a large force that would work together. When they passed through the archers, Jason ordered them to move to the center of the formation and take whatever shots they could at the army. While the cohorts were grabbing first aid supplies, Reyna had the bright idea to grab more quivers for the archers. Now they were fully stocked on arrows once again and would be able to support the charge.

Reyna was nervous about the battle though. She had sparred and played wargames, but there was really not a serious threat of death in those circumstances. Sure she had survived on Blackbeard's ship for months with her sister, but that was nothing like what lay in front of her. That army had one goal from the looks of things, kill demigods. She hoped that her training would help her to stay alive today.

She also was worried about Arthur. Their fellow cohort members had been treating him with less unease ever since he talked to Angela early in the week. It seemed like things were getting better for him. Now some force had overtaken him like it did when he threatened that centurion, and he charged the army alone like a maniac. Reyna decided that when the battle was over she would beat him senseless to teach him a lesson.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts she realized that the enemy was only twenty yards away. She prepared herself for the initial strike of army against army. Arthur could be seen as a blur of silver just past the enemy's front lines, causing disruption and distracting the monsters. Reyna smirked, so that was his plan. The Roman cohorts smashed into the monsters and began to kill them quickly.

Unfortunately, the good fortune of the Roman army was not to last. Angele smashed a dracaena head into the ground when a cyclops swung back at her. She managed to duck, but it was clear they lost the element of surprise. Arthur was now next to her and the two fought like a well oiled machine. They stood back to back as the enemy regrouped and fought back. Any monster who came to close to the duo were either struck by the might of Angela's hammer, or were sliced apart by Arthur's blades.

The Romans had broken formation with the exception of a ring around the archers. The battle had become chaos and was starting to turn in favor of the monsters. The Hydra, which had somehow stayed hidden until now, reared its many ugly heads and began to take down several demigods with every strike. Angela knew that the monster had to be taken down, but they did not have any fire readily available.

"Any ideas on how to take down the Hydra?" Angela asked Arthur as she bashed another monster away with her shield.

"Fire," Arthur suggested. He sidestepped a cyclops club and threw one of his knives into its eyes.

"Yea, how do you suggest we do that?" Angela countered.

Arthur cried out as a sword stabbed his leg. He fell to one knee before he answered, "No idea, but we better figure something out quick."

Angela turned and saw that Arthur could barely move. He must still be weak from the earlier part of the battle, she thought. She quickly took up a defensive stance to protect him as best as she could.

"Quick drink some of your nectar or take a piece of ambrosia," Angela ordered him.

Arthur struggled to breathe, "I can't…..I used it….to heal…..the archers."

Angela paled, "MEDIC!"

She continued to fight as a medic made his way over towards her position. It was a member of her cohort, and when he saw Arthur he quickly set to work. Angela helped the medic move Arthur to a safer position behind Roman lines. As she entered the battle she noticed something going on near the Hydra.

Apparently the Fifth Cohort had managed to push the flank of the monsters back towards the Hydra, who stood in the center. Now they were fighting around the terrible beast. Angela made her way in that direction, knowing they would need all the help they could get to fight the beast, and maybe her father could help with the fire they needed.

Before she could re-enter the battle, she noticed a figure jump onto the back of the Hydra. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at who it was and was surprised, it was Reyna! How did she get mixed in with the Fifth Cohort?

In Reyna's hand was an Imperial Gold spear that looked like Jason's. Angela was confused about what was currently going on. She ran harder to get to the battle and to help one of her comrade out. As she closed the distance she saw Reyna jump of the beast and yell, "Jason! Now!"

Suddenly a bolt of lightning ruptured the sky and struck the Hydra. It screamed out in agony as the electricity coursed through its body. When the screaming and light died down, all that was left was the smoking husk of the Hydra. In the distance, horns began blowing signaling the arrival of the other three cohorts.

 **Thanks again for reading. I have to say that I'm enjoying sharing my writing more and more as I post on here. Let me know what you thought.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys, here's another chapter of the Venator. Thank you to the followers and favorites of this story, as well as anyone who took the time to read this far. This story has over 2,000 views now, something I never thought would be achieved. I hope you enjoy.**

Reyna had gotten separated from her Cohort during the fight. The Fifth and Third had merged together, but when it seemed like a new tactic was needed, she somehow found herself fighting amongst the Fifth. In fact, she was fighting side by side with Jason. Even though he made her look foolish in the arena most times, Reyna had great admiration for the Centurion. She knew he was a strong fighter and a great leader, but he did not boast about it.

She would admit, she found strong men who were not arrogant attractive. Jason was the only person she had talked to that met those requirements, except for Arthur, but he was her teacher. She had seen other girls chase after Jason and throw themselves to him, but he always declined their advances. Reyna assumed he had a girlfriend and during one of their sparring sessions she had asked him about it. He told her that he did not like girls who were too forward, but preferred girls that stood up for themselves and did not worry about what others thought of them.

Shaking her head from her girlish fantasies, Reyna brought her attention back to the battle. The Fifth had managed to defeat many of the monsters and had pushed into the main body of the army. That's when they saw the Hydra standing before them.

"Look out!" Jason cried as a head snapped in Reyna's direction. He leapt to push her out of the way, and ended up landing on top of her.

Blushing, Reyna pushed Jason off, "Thanks, Grace. Now, how are we going to kill that thing?"

Jason looked at the monster, "We can't cut off the heads. It will grow two more from the stump unless we burn it. Since we don't have a way to create fire, I don't know."

Reyna analyzed the monster for a moment, trying to think of a way to defeat it. If they could not burn the heads, perhaps they could kill it another way. Finally, she came up with an idea.

"We can damage the body enough to kill it," she told Jason.

Jason looked grim at the suggestion, "The problem is the heads will snap up whoever strikes it. We would only have time for one shot."

Reyna looked down, "So we would have to kill it with one strike?"

Jason nodded, "However, I don't think a sword or spear alone will provide enough power to strike down the beast."

Reyna's eyes lit up, "Can you summon another lightning bolt, but more powerful than earlier?"

"Maybe," Jason said looking confused.

"Listen for my signal then," Reyna told him. She grabbed his Imperial Gold spear from his hand and charged towards the beast. Jason shouted something at her but she could not hear it. She simply hoped this plan would work.

Maybe he will take an interest in me after this, Reyna thought. Even running towards one of the most dangerous monsters of all time, her girlish side would plague her mind with weird thoughts. She admitted to herself she had a crush on Jason, but she did not need those thoughts in the middle of battle.

As she closed the distance between her and the Hydra's back, Reyna managed to stop thinking about Jason romantically, but began thinking how stupid this idea really was. It was crazy to think she was going to take on the beast with only a spear and a prayer that Jason could fry it. With all the strength she could muster, she leapt onto the back of the beast and jammed the spear deep inside it.

"JASON NOW!" Reyna yelled as she jumped clear of the spear.

Jason was concentrating harder than ever, and a lightning bolt as wide as a truck struck the spear where it was embedded in the Hydra. The amount of electricity caused Reyna's braid to shoot straight back, as well as some of the hair on her arm to jump out of her skin completely. Monsters and demigods alike were blinded by the sheer power of the strike Jason unleashed.

After several seconds, their eyesight cleared and both armies saw the smoldering husk of the Hydra. The monsters began to panic and retreat, only to be met by the other three cohorts. Reyna figured those cohorts could handle what was left and walked over to Jason. He was sitting on the ground, trying not to pass out.

"You won the battle Jason," she told him. She offered him a hand to help stand up.

"No," Jason replied, "That was your plan, and we could not have done any of this if not for the Venator and the archers. They gave us time to get our gear and first aid supplies. If not for that more lives would have been lost."

Reyna sighed, "I understand, but you dealt the final blow to the army. The monsters have now starting fleeing into the waiting blades of the other cohorts. Take the credit."

It was Jason's turn to sigh, "Fine Ramirez, but I'm sharing it with everyone."

Reyna shook her head and placed Jason's arm on her shoulders. He was still struggling to walk so he did not object. Reyna's face lit up as they walked over to the dead carcass. Jason's spear stood in the mound of monster dust, along with two fangs from the Hydra.

"Nice spoils," Reyna remarked.

Jason chuckled, "Yea, I always wanted teeth."

Jason pulled has spear out of the ground and flipped it back to coin form. Grabbing the teeth, he made his way to the edge of the battlefield. He saw Angela starting to call her cohort together and into formation. Jason did not know how she had managed being centurion alone for all this time, but she was probably the one person Jason respected most. Her entire cohort followed her words to the letter. They could be the best cohort in the Legion if not for the underhanded tricks the First and Second used, if rumors were to be believed.

"Fifth Cohort! On me!" Jason called out. Reyna stayed by his side to help him remain standing. It felt nice having her this close to him. Her hair was shimmering in the sun while her deep obsidian eyes took in everything around her, as if expecting more monsters to appear. Jason also could not help but stare at her figure. Reyna was HOT! He just was not sure how well she would take to a relationship between the two of them. She was always with Angela and Arthur when she trained, unless she sparred with Jason. He figured that something was brewing between Arthur and Reyna because they were always together, and he did not want to ruin that.

Speaking of Arthur, where is he? Jason thought. His cohort was falling into formation so he glanced at the faces in front of him and through the Third. Arthur was nowhere to be seen. Surely, he was not one of the fallen? That man could live through anything, in Jason's opinion.

"Casualty report!" Angela called out.

"Fifteen," someone in the Third reported.

"Twenty-Five," Gwen, the other centurion of the Fifth, reported as well.

Jason could not believe it. They had lost a total of forty demigods in the battle. It could have been a lot worse he guessed, but those numbers were nothing to be proud of. They died doing their duty by protecting Rome, but they should not have been put in that position in the first place. Jason was about to tell his men to retrieve the bodies when the rest of the Legion showed up.

"Centurions, congratulations on your victory today," the praetors announced, "Angela, Gwen, and Jason you led a remarkable defense against this monster army. Tonight we shall feast and honor you and your cohorts for your remarkable bravery."

Jason was about to say something against the praetor, but was stopped when Angela beat him to it, "My Praetors, this battle could not have been won if not for the brave actions of our archers. They were led by Arthur and met the force alone to give us time to regain our strength from training. They are the true heroes."

"The cowardly Venator, a hero? As if!" shouted Octavian. He had been appointed centurion of the First Cohort and hated Arthur with a passion. He still believed it was an insult to the gods that a male demigod claimed to be the Champion of Diana.

"Silence Octavian! Where is Arthur now?"

Angela looked at the praetors, "He was gravely injured and is being treated as we speak. We do not know if he will survive. I ask permission to take him to the temple of Diana to seek help from his patron."

"Who will run your cohort while you are gone? We know you have yet to appoint a new centurion."

Angela turned and locked eyes with Reyna, "Reyna has proved herself today. She planted a spear into the Hydra to allow for more electricity to course through the beast when Jason unleashed his lightning bolt. I believe that she is worthy to be Centurion."

The praetors nodded, "So it shall be then. Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, you are henceforth Centurion of the Third Cohort."

Cheers erupted from the Third as Angela congratulated Reyna. Reyna was stunned, but grateful for the support she was receiving. She was worried about Arthur though. He was the one who stood for her and had given her most of her training. Hopefully, he would be alright, she thought.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Jason when he decided to wrap her in a hug.

"Reyna, that's so amazing that you are a centurion now," He told her as he spun her in his arms.

Everyone looked at the two in amazement. Some of the guys whistled, while the girls made catty remarks about Reyna. Reyna herself was blushing so red that she probably resembled a strawberry. When Jason put her down he was blushing too and started rubbing his arm, embarrassed.

"Sorry, I was just excited," Jason said.

Reyna waved him off and walked over to her cohort. She sent Jason a smile so he would know she was not mad at him. Jason was mentally beating himself up for making, what he thought was a stupid decision. Reyna's only thought was, Oh. My. Gosh. He. Just. Hugged. Me. The cohorts made their way to the dining hall for the feast and awards ceremony. Angela chuckled to herself at the sight before rushing down to the temple of Diana.

* * *

She had already sent the medics down to the temple with Arthur. She knew he was weak from loss of energy and blood, and only divine interference would help him. She told that moron to be safe and he said he could handle it. Angela was going to beat him when he was better for making her worry like this.

Her cohort knew she had a soft spot for Arthur. It was nothing romantic, only a brother/sister kind of relationship. It was for her that they had given Arthur a chance in the first place. They did not insult him or degrade him, unfortunately, they did not defend him until after he returned from a quest. It was then they had started treating him like family. Now Angela was afraid she was about to lose her little brother.

She arrived at the temple doors and saw the two medics standing outside holding Arthur. They had not taken him inside, and were not trying to. Angela was starting to lose her temper with the incompetence of these medics.

"Why are you just standing here?" she demanded.

One of them looked up at her, his name was Caleb, "Males are not allowed inside this temple. We tried to take him in, but a force kept us out."

Angela groaned, "You're right Caleb, I apologize. I will take him from here."

Caleb nodded and headed back to the Third with his partner. Angela was glad that she had a more athletic build thanks to working in the forges. It would make picking up Arthur easier. She lifted him up, but still struggled to carry him by himself. The man was a solid wall of muscle. He was about two hundred pounds, and Angela knew there was not a bit of fat on him, except maybe in his head.

When she entered the Temple of Diana, she saw a bare altar and laid Arthur on it. She hoped Lady Diana would forgive her, but seeing how this was her son, Angela figured it should not matter. Arthur groaned and his arm started bleeding out again. Angela started to freak out and realized the stitches Caleb put in had ripped.

"Who defiles my temple!" a voice rang out.

Angela turned to see an angry eighteen year old woman with silver eyes and auburn hair glaring at her. Angela had never met a god or goddess before, and she had to admit it was terrifying. Diana seemed to radiate pure fury.

"L-L-Lady Diana," Angela stuttered as she knelt before the goddess, "I humbly ask your assistance. Your son was gravely injured in battle and needs more aid than we can offer."

The aura of rage seemed to lessen, "Who told you I had a son?"

Angela looked up to see worry in the goddess' eyes, "He did my lady. I laid him on the altar in hopes you could help him."

Diana rushed over to the body, "What happened? Tell me everything."

Angela began to tell Lady Diana about the battle and the events that led up to it. She told Diana how Arthur had started to find a family here in Rome and was being heralded as a hero now by the praetors. Angela described his actions at the start of the battle and how a silver aura that looked like fire took over Arthur when he charged the army alone. Diana was shocked and stayed quiet until she finished.

"My idiot son," Diana whispered, "He should have known better than to use the Curse like that."

"My lady, will he be okay?" Angela asked.

Diana turned to Angela, "You act as my Hunters towards him. I am glad to see that he found someone who could truly accept him for who he is here."

Angela blushed, "He is my little brother, my lady."

Diana smiled, "You are a daughter of Vulcan correct?"

"Yes, my lady"

"Did you make that armor for him?"

Angela smiled, "Yes, my lady. He complained that metal armor the Legion uses is too bulky and slows him down."

Diana laughed softly, "A Hunter through and through. His sisters sure did a number on him."

Diana placed her hands on Arthur's chest and sent out a wave of energy into his body. Angela gasped as the wounds started to close on his shoulder. She ran to a nearby fountain and ripped a part of her shirt off. She soaked it in water from the fountain to clean Arthur's wound. She wanted to help Diana as best she could.

"Thank you child," Diana said, "Have you ever given thought to leaving Rome and joining my Hunt?"

Angela smiled. Arthur had told her his mom asked every girl to join her hunt, unless the girl was either romantically involved or no longer a maiden. Angela had thought it would be fun to roam the country killing monsters and playing pranks, but she loved Rome too much.

"I have to respectfully decline my lady. My cohort needs me too much."

Diana nodded, "If you change your mind, just send me a prayer."

Angela looked back at Arthur. Color seemed to be returning to his face now. She breathed a sigh of relief when his breathing was no longer ragged. Diana took her hands off of Arthur and motioned for Angela to follow her.

"You mentioned that Arthur has only been treated as a Roman for the last few months. Does anyone still treat him poorly?"

Angela nodded.

"Who?" The malice in Diana's voice scared Angela.

"The First and Second cohort mainly," Angela managed to stammer out.

"They will be punished. For now, know this young one. I must take Arthur away. He needs to control the curse within him better. It seems it has changed inside him, and it may be for the better, but only if he can control it. I will take you to the ceremony, where my hunters will join me and carry Arthur."

"My lady, will we see him again?" Angela asked timidly. She did not want to lose her friend.

"Definitely," Diana replied.

The two of the headed out of the temple and towards the dining hall as several girls dressed in silver walked in. Following them was a large wolf. They secured Arthur to the wolf who whined when it saw Arthur's body, and followed Diana and Angela.

It was a short walk and the feast was in full swing. Angela made her way to Reyna and sat next to her. She took a long drink from a goblet hoping to calm her nerves. Reyna looked at her curiously, but Angela gave her a just watch motion. At that moment Diana walked into the dining hall and a hush came over most people.

"Hey hottie why don't you come over here and sit on my lap," some idiot called.

Diana was dressed in her short hunter's dress, which Angela had to admit, revealed a lot of her legs. Diana's glare grew fierce, but was interrupted when a bronze Bowie knife impaled itself next to the boy's head. Heads turned to see and unconscious Arthur laying on the back of a wolf with his arm outstretched. Even unconscious he would defend his mother, that kid is something, Angela thought.

Diana walked calmly and pulled the knife loose, "Watch your tone with a goddess, boy."

Everyone in the room paled, a goddess walked into their midst. That cannot be good.

"My lady, what can we help you with? I am Octavian, augur and contact for the gods, and Centurion of the First Cohort."

Diana glared, "Good, take this down augur, for the next three months the First and Second Cohorts will be placed under a curse."

"W-W-What?" Octavian could not believe his ears.

"You heard me boy. I Lady Diana curse the First and Second Cohort for the treatment they bestowed upon my champion. Maybe you were learn different while he is gone."

With that Diana, her hunters, and the wolf carrying Arthur left. The First and Second sat stunned while everyone else could not help but talk about what had just happened. Amidst the chaos, the Third Cohort was hit the most. They did not want their friend to leave. The archers from the Third and Fifth had taken to wearing black bands with silver wolves on them. No one knew how they made them so quickly, but they did.

Angela did her best to console her Cohort. She was broken up as well, but she had to stay strong. Arthur would return to them, she knew it. They were family after all. She noticed that Reyna seemed to be taking it hardest. She was leaned into Jason's shoulder crying softly. While Jason patted her head.

Wolf Face, Reyna thought, you better come back to us.

* * *

Artemis flashed her Hunters to a large cabin in the woods. It was large enough to accommodate the entire Hunt, with a bunkhouse for the wolves to stay in. None of the Hunters had ever seen this place before.

"My Lady," Thalia asked, "Where are we, and who is that boy?"

Artemis sighed, "Thalia, you weren't lieutenant yet, but fifteen years ago I adopted a son. He has been hidden from the gods for some time now, but he got hurt. He is the brother of all the Hunt, and this will be his new home."

Thalia gasped, "You have a son?"

"Adopted," Phoebe answered for Artemis, "He's our little brother, Arthur."

"Doesn't look so little anymore," Thalia commented as she took in the well-muscled shoulders of the unconscious demigod.

"Thalia, your oath applies to my son as well," Artemis said.

Thalia blushed at the comment. She had been ogling him, but that was all. She thought he was pleasing to the eye. She looked up at Artemis to see the goddess grinning like a wolf.

"MY LADY!" Thalia screamed. All the Hunters and Artemis laughed at the teasing Thalia was receiving.

"Whoever is yelling shut up or else, and get me off this fur rug," a voice yelled.

The Hunt turned and saw that Arthur was awake. Phoebe ran over and helped him down. Arthur looked up at who was helping him and fell on the ground.

"Pheebs?"

Phoebe smiled, "Glad you remember me little bro."

Arthur jumped up and hugged her tightly, "When I heard about Zoe I feared my other favorite sister died. No offense ladies, I love you all, just Zee and Pheebs a little more."

Arthur turned to look at his sisters. He saw a few new faces, but most of the old ones were still there. He stopped when his gaze landed on a girl with short spiked hair and blue highlights. She was wearing Zee's tiara, the mark of the Lieutenant of Artemis.

"Who are you? How dare you wear Zee's tiara?" Arthur demanded.

Thalia's anger boiled up, "I'm Thalia, and your mother picked me herself to take Zoe's position. I won't have someone like you question it either."

Thalia drew her spear and summoned Aegis, "Good I could use a fight."

Arthur drew his throwing knives since Artemis still had his Bowie knife, and charged. Thalia put up her shield to scare Arthur, but he ignored the image. The two fought for a few minutes until Artemis separates them. When Thalia lunged Artemis grabbed her spear and flung her near a tree. As Arthur continued to charge she flipped him flat on his back.

"If you two are quite finished, Arthur I'd like to show you your new house."

Arthur looked up at Artemis, "Sure thing mom. Good choice on lieutenant. She may not be Zoe, but she has spirit and is a good fighter."

Thalia scoffed, "This isn't over Stag Brain."

"Stag Brain? I thought Wolf Face was terrible," Arthur muttered.

Artemis shook her head, "Anyway, Arthur, this is your new home. It is also a safe place for the hunt to stay and re-supply when we are in the middle of long hunts."

"Where are we?" Arthur asked.

"Montana," Artemis told him, "I need you to take care of this place and work on the Curse that plagues you."

Arthur stopped short. The girls had gone and explored the house while Artemis led Arthur to a single bedroom with two room attached to it. One room was a bathroom, the other seemed like a Zen garden that some of the members of the Third Cohort talked about. There were tiny tree and sand filling the room. A small water feature was on the wall. It had a little waterfall pouring into a pool.

"You need to meditate on the power now. Instead of repressing it like before, you need to master it," Artemis told Arthur.

Arthur looked at his mom, "Is this because it change from a rage feeling to a protective feeling?"

"Yes my son. Somehow you see Rome as family now, and that has started healing the rift and has made the curse more of a blessing in some ways."

Arthur looked down. His feelings towards Rome started changing when Angela starts teaching him, and got stronger when he stood for Reyna. Maybe those two were the key.

"Why am I not at Rome though mom?"

Artemis placed her hand on his cheek. Even in her eighteen year old for, it was almost a stretch, "My son I want to be able to visit you and check on you. I can't do that when you are in Rome. The other gods will wonder why I'm visiting often. Here in the wilderness I can see you whenever. Is that a problem?"

Arthur smiled widely, "Not at all. I've missed my sisters and you. I can learn to like Thalia given time."

Artemis embraced her son, "I missed you so much. I want to hear all about your adventure, and you have to explain this wolf thing you have going on."

Arthur nodded. He knew a larger war was coming, and his training will probably keep him from it. That worried him as he thought about Angela, Reyna, and the Third. However, right now he was going to sit with his mom and tell her stories about what has happened in his life since she dropped him off at Camp Jupiter.

 **Thanks for reading. The next chapter will see a time jump that skips The Last Olympian and will pick up at the end of Blood of Olympus. I don't want to mess with those stories, since they will set things up for what is to come. Again, thanks for reading.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! Here's a new chapter.**

Two years and a war had passed since Arthur had come to live alone. The house his mother built for him had gain some additions to it, such as a meat freezer, garden, and sauna. The Hunt greatly approved of their brothers improvements. So much so that they called the house, the Hunt's Refuge. Arthur liked the name and made sure to keep the food stores full if Artemis ever brought his sisters by.

The relationship between Arthur and Thalia had greatly improved as well. It took several sparring matches and beat downs before the two of them came to be friends though. Thalia told Arthur about Camp Half-Blood and her friends Annabeth, Percy, and Nico. Arthur felt bad for Nico, having lost his sister and feeling like an outcast. Arthur told Thalia that if Artemis was okay with it, to show Nico the Refuge sometime.

Arthur spent most of his time working around the Refuge. He had to repair the damages storms or animals caused, not that it happened often. He hunted and cured meat that would be kept in the freezer he built. The freezer was enchanted so the meat would not go bad. He also had to cut wood to keep an ample supply of firewood. He never knew when he would have company or get snowed in.

The rest of his time was spent training his abilities. He was able to use the enhanced senses and tracking skills he had gotten from his mother's essence, but he could do more. He focused on the Legacy of Mithras within him. Ever since the battle at New Rome, Arthur knew a change had happened concerning that ability. Instead of being triggered by hatred, it seemed to be triggered whenever Arthur needed to protect someone, or felt like he failed someone important to him. He had the ability mostly under control, but every so often it could overpower him and he would rampage. Those instances were few and far between thanks to the meditation he practiced daily. He also spent time working with his magic spell books. He wanted to increase his energy so that if something like the battle in New Rome happens again, he would not be completely drained. However, he only seemed to be able to cast minor spells without feeling any of the effects. Currently, though, he was working on his chores. He was carrying an oak log to the house to cut into planks. He planned on building a table for outside and wanted it made out of sturdy wood.

Arthur continued with his chores when the Earth shook violently. That had been happening since last Christmas, and had gotten more and more frequent. Arthur set down the ten foot oak log he was carrying to check the house for damage. Brushing his shoulder length hair back and stroking his beard a couple of times, he began to walk around his property. The house was fine, but Arthur started to remember an encounter he had several months ago.

 _-FlashBack-_

 _Arthur was tending his small garden, he was trying a new way to get rid of slugs that Demeter had shared with him, when he heard a sound in the woods to his left. His senses had improved greatly since he moved here from New Rome. His friends had jokingly called him wolf back then, but they may lnot be too far off now. For some strange reason, Arthur's canines had lengthened and his face started to look wolfish. At least that's how Thalia described him. Arthur figured it had something to do with his mother's domain of hunting and how close she was to wolves._

 _The snap of a bow string caught Arthur's attention and he quickly drew his Bowie knife and deflected the arrow just in time. At that moment a strange man with glowing eyes emerged from the woods, holding a compound bow._

 _"Who are you? And where is that infernal goddess of the hunt?" the figure demanded._

 _Arthur felt a growl rise in his throat, but thought it best not to threaten this new figure. Instead, he grabbed his shirt and put in on before walking towards the new threat._

 _"My name is Arthur, this is my home. Who are you and who are you looking for?"_

 _Arthur could get a better look at the figure now. He seemed like a man, except for his eyes, but he stood almost seven feet tall. Arthur has never seen anyone that tall, and assumed that he was some kind of supernatural being. He quickly ran through a list of possible candidates in his head when the figure spoke up._

 _"I am Orion and the best hunter the world has ever seen. I sense the goddess Artemis nearby. Tell me where she is or I will torture you and kill you slowly."_

 _Arthur was worried, but kept his face calm, "Why are you looking for Artemis?"_

 _Orion smirked, "She and I have a score to settle, that and I plan on turning her little girls into my personal targets."_

 _Arthur had to protect his sisters and mother, the problem was he had no idea where they were. Thalia had stopped by around his birthday to celebrate and ask if he had seen a wondering demigod. Apparently, her friend Percy had gone missing and they could not find him._

 _"I can honestly say that I don't know where they are," Arthur said._

 _Orion cursed, then glanced at Arthur, "Why does her aura radiate strongly here then? Also, why do you look like her?"_

 _Arthur sighed. Over the last almost two years, his hair had turned auburn and his eyes silver, just like his mom. Artemis said it was due to Arthur being near her more. The time he spent with her strengthened the aura within him, and he would develop traits similar to hers. Artemis thought he looked cute. Arthur groaned when he heard this, but secretly liked being more connected with his mother._

 _Arthur looked back at Orion and came up with a lie quickly, "This is a refuge for her Hunt. They are here often and that is probably why you sense her aura. As for me, she found me as a child and has forced me to work here as the Hunt's servant. This is my home, and I guess being exposed to her has me gaining some of her qualities. It's most likely a punishment for being male."_

 _Orion chuckled, "My young friend it seems as though you've had a hard life because of that goddess. That is something we have in common. When my mother rises from the earth and destroys the pathetic Olympians, I will return and you will be free from her clutches. I may even teach you to hunt. But alas, I must be off. Soon those demigods in Tartarus will be free and I will have to stop that statue of Athena from making it to their pathetic camp. Until our next meeting."_

 _With that Orion bounded into the forest. Once Arthur was sure he was gone he Iris messaged Thalia and told her what happened, omitting the lie he told because that did not need to get back to his mother. Thalia told Arthur to stay safe and vigilant, he may be needed in this new war._

Arthur shook his head as he came out of his thoughts. Ever since that day he had been keeping track of what occurred in the world. Iris was a great help with that. Arthur had stumbled across a child of hers a year ago and saved him from a monster. Since then, Iris had offered Arthur aid whenever he needed it. In this case, it was bringing him news. Currently, both camps were at a standoff, but Octavian was doing his best to rally Rome to destroy the Greeks. Reyna set off for the ancient lands and was supposedly making her way back with the Athena Parthenos, while being followed by Lycaon, his wolves, and a strange man.

Arthur had wanted to help Reyna, but knew he could not make it to Europe in time. Instead he informed Thalia and she made a plan with the Amazons to aid Reyna. Arthur had prepped his armor and weapons and was waiting for a sign to move in. Exposing himself would bring about his grandfather's wrath for sure, and Arthur did not want to be fried extra crispy.

Arthur knew he had to be careful after his uncle visited. It was early on in his time at the Refuge, and Arthur heard a car pull up outside. His Uncle Apollo came to visit, it had been several years since they last talked. As they hung out and Apollo tried to teach Arthur how to woo women, green mist started pouring from his eyes.

 _To the Hunter's son the gods must turn_

 _Else they see their legacy burn_

 _The foolish task is at an end_

 _And it's worker will make the world bend_

 _Fire will cleanse Rome_

 _And the homeless, shall finally find a home_

Those words haunted Arthur since he heard them. Apollo said that Arthur was a part of that prophecy, but could say no more. He wondered if Apollo had told Zeus that prophecy or not, since it seemed like the gods would rely on him at some point.

Arthur stepped into the house and took a shower. He was able to clear his thoughts when he showered, not to mention the hot water felt good against his skin. He stepped out and started to get dressed. After putting on some pants, he stepped in front of his mirror to comb down his hair.

"Brother!" a voice shouted behind him.

Arthur jumped about a foot in the air and looked back. An Iris message was floating behind him and in it was Sarah, one of the newer Hunters. Arthur was about to smile at her when he saw the look of terror on her face.

"What's wrong Sarah?" Arthur asked.

"We were helping the Roman girl, Nico, and Coach Hedge when he attacked," Sarah whimpered. Tears started to flow down her cheeks.

"Who attacked?"

Sarah replied, "Orion."

Arthur cursed, he should have killed the man when he had the chance, "Sarah, stay safe. Thalia will protect you guys as best she can."

"Arthur, you have to help them get to Camp Half-Blood, we can only hold off Orion for so long. They can end the war brother."

Arthur nodded, "Don't worry young one, just tell me where to go."

Sarah nodded, "Long Island, New York. Thalia says you'll be pulled where to go the closer you get."

"Tell Mutt Butt to get moving," another voice came through the message.

"Really Thunder Thighs," Arthur yelled back.

Sarah smiled for a second, "Please hurry."

Arthur nodded and ran to his armory. First, he pulled on his favorite, silver sleeveless hooded shirt. He did not want people to see his face, since he looked similar to Artemis. Next, he grabbed the silver chain-mail that fit under his leather armor. He has to adjust and replace some parts of the leather armor since he had gotten bigger in the last few years. Constant work led to his muscles bulging more, to the point he barely wore sleeves. On his wrists, Arthur placed leather vambraces which had wolf designs on it. The space between his chain-mail shirt and his vambraces was bare, revealing tattoos on both his arms.

Artemis was not fond of Arthur's Legion tattoo, but she absolutely hated the others he had gotten. Arthur had wandered into the nearby town one day and came across a place called Spartan Tattoo. He discovered it was run by a former legionnaire after walking in. They swapped stories and in return the owner offered Arthur a deal on any tattoo he got in that shop. Arthur had gotten several done, mostly wolf themed or tribal designs. Thalia thought they were cool, Artemis threatened to beat Arthur within an inch of his life when she found out.

After grabbing his armor, Arthur sheathed his weapons. He had ten throwing knives, his Celestial Bronze Bowie knife, and his new bow. The old bow was too weak for his current strength, so Artemis helped him make a new one. One his back were two quivers, the gift from Apollo, and the original quiver his mother gave. Those arrows magically appeared from the collection of arrows he kept at the Refuge. The quiver would refill with arrows when the last arrow was fired.

Arthur grabbed his emergency pack, filled with food and other supplies and took off towards New York. He muttered a short chant and his speed increased significantly as one of the spells of the noinomicon took over. Now he should be in New York in a week at the most.

* * *

Arthur reached Long Island in what was probably record time. He was exhausted from having slept only eight hours for his entire trip, two hours a night. As promised by Thalia, he felt an inexplicable pull towards the scent of strawberries. Arthur followed it until he came to the edge of a wooded area. Below him was a clearing filled with tents that he recognized, the Legion. Arthur recognized the organized layout of a Roman camp, but did not understand why there was a large tent set above all the others. Usually, the praetors' tents were placed in front of the Legion's, and not above it.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Arthur looked for a particular group of tents. If anyone could catch him up, it was Angela and the Third Cohort. Arthur found their flags and even picked out Angela moving into her tent for the night. Arthur felt a sense of urgency in the back of his mind, and set off for his friends tent.

One may not think a silver hood, or silver embossed leather would make good camouflage, but if the wearer knows what they are doing, no one will ever see them. With caution, Arthur slipped into the Roman camp without alerting any of the watch. On his way in he noticed Onagers and dog headed men in a camp near the Romans. Why did they have Onagers, and what were monsters doing this close to demigods? Arthur wondered.

As he passed the night watch, he noticed familiar faces of the archers he fought alongside a couple years ago. He realized they were wearing armor similar to his, made of leather and sectioned off with chain-mail underneath. This caused Arthur to raise an eyebrow, but what was on each of their left arms made his mouth fall open. They each had a black band with a silver wolf symbol wrapped around their left arms. Arthur made a mental note to ask Angela about that.

He crept through the camp for nearly ten minutes, making sure he was not seen, before he came to his destination. Arthur took a deep breath. He had not seen Angela in a long time. He hoped she could forgive him for being gone for so long. With that thought he steeled his nerves and stepped inside the flap.

"Hey darling, did you get someone to take your shift tonight?" Angela asked.

Arthur froze. Inside the tent were two cots set up side by side with blankets over both. On one of the cots and under the blankets lay Angela who was wearing a tank top that was kind of revealing. Needless to say, Arthur started to freak out.

"Um, sorry?" Arthur said.

Angela, whose eyes were closed, sat straight up and glared at the intruder, "Who are you?"

Before Arthur could reply, Angela had leapt out from her cot and was swinging a small hammer at his head. Arthur quickly dodged out of the way and grabbed Angela's wrist. He twisted it with small amount of force, causing her to drop the hammer. Angela responded by bringing her other elbow up to connect with Arthur's face.

Arthur dropped her wrist and held his jaw, not knowing that the blow Angela landed had knocked his hood back as well. When Arthur looked up he noticed that in addition to the revealing tank top, Angela was wearing some really short shorts. His eyes widened at the sight of his former centurion and her outfit. Meanwhile, Angela was also wide eyed by the sight in front of her.

"Where did you get that armor?" she demanded.

Arthur was snapped out of his daze, "What are you talking about? You made it for me."

Angela glared at him, "I never met you in my life. That armor was made for a dear friend of mine."

"Angela it's me!" Arthur declared.

"A-Arthur? What happened to you?" Angela asked.

Arthur chuckled, "You mean the hair and my eyes?"

Angela rolled her eyes, "Among other things, yes."

"It's all because of the time I spent with my mom. Apparently, her essence within me grew stronger, causing me to adopt traits similar to her."

Angela rushed over to wrap him in a hug, "I'm so glad you are here."

Arthur smiled and returned the hug, "I missed you Angie. How have you been? What's going on?"

Angela sighed and motioned to a chair at the desk Arthur missed when he first walked in, "It's kind of a long story. I'll give you the short version though."

Arthur nodded and took a seat. Angela told him how after he left the praetors named the position of venator to be given to you upon your return. It was created because of him, and specifically for him. He would be in charge of all the archers of the Legion and would have a lieutenant to take his place when he could not be there. Angela went on to describe the attack against the Titan stronghold and Jason and Reyna's actions during the fight. She described how a few months after the victory Jason disappeared, and a few months after that a strange man named Percy showed up. Thanks to Arthur, Angela had known about the Greeks, but it still did not sit well with her when Percy returned and they found out a Greek warship was on its way towards New Rome. To Arthur the story sounded like things were going well, he wondered what caused the Romans to declare war on the Greeks.

Angela continued her story to tell how the ship had fired upon the city and Octavian pushed for war against the Greek menace. Unfortunately, the Senate sided with him and after a couple months here they were ready to fight. Angela looked upset when she told Arthur about the impending assault on the Greek forces.

"This is madness!" Arthur exclaimed.

Angela nodded, "Also, Octavian has taken on the title Pontifex Maximus. Thus, given him an equal if not greater footing than the praetors."

"Where are the praetors?"

Angela smacked her leg, "Sorry, I forgot to mention. Jason and Reyna are praetors now. I'm not sure where either of them are currently. Only that Jason was on that Greek warship, and Reyna journeyed to the ancient lands."

Arthur's eyes widened, "Reyna is praetor? That's amazing! So who is your second centurion?"

Angela blushed as she replied, "His name is Kyle, a legacy of Ceres. He is one of the archers you led into combat."

Arthur was confused about her blush, "Why are you turning red?"

Of course this caused Angela to turn a deeper shade of red as she stammered, "Well…..you see….he and I….."

"Wait, are you two dating?" Arthur wondered aloud.

Angela nodded. Arthur could not help but be excited for his former leader, "That's fantastic. I guess you expected me to be him when I walked in then."

"Yea, sorry about that," Angela said, "Tell me about your time away from the Legion."

Arthur frowned, "Maybe later, right now I have something important to do. Reyna is on her way back with some satyr and a boy named Nico. They have the Athena Parthenos and may be able to stop this feud between the Romans and Greeks. I have to help them."

Angela looked dumbfounded, "I'm not sure they can end the war. Octavian is focused on his bloodlust and getting revenge. He promised that by the 'morrow we will wipe the stench of the Greeks from the face of the earth."

Arthur cursed, "That moron! Look, do what you can to stall. I'm sure that the Fifth will help you since Jason was their centurion for a while. I'll see what kind of help I can send."

Angela nodded, "Let me get dressed and pass the word that the Venator has returned. That will get people to our side."

Arthur shook his head, "I have to stay under the radar. If Octavian has as much power as you say, then he won't hesitate to have me killed. He still believes I am an abomination to the gods."

Angela frowned, remembering that Octavian had indeed tried to have Arthur executed numerous times. She figured the Legion would have been better off if not for that scrawny augur.

"For now," Arthur continued, "Tell them that help is on the way and that they must oppose Octavian. Try to get the Fourth on your side too, I don't think they have any love for the idiot either."

Angela nodded as Arthur turned to leave. She felt that maybe things could get better now that he was here. Angela wiped a tear from her eye and ran up behind him to hug him once more. As she did she felt how much more sturdy he was than before. It was like Arthur was just a giant wall of muscle.

"I'm glad you're back," she whispered.

"Me too sis, me too."

 **Thanks for reading y'all. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. A quick note, I may not be able to publish another chapter until after the Christmas holidays, it really depends on what kind of a wifi connection I will have available. Enjoy the Holidays!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys I hope you had a good holiday. Sorry for the late update. This chapter was supposed to be done the week of New Years, but life happened. A quick shout out to all those who favorite, follow, review, and even read this story. You guys are great encouragement for me and I thank you. So without further ado, here is the next chapter of The Venator.**

Arthur crept silently out of the Roman camp. He made a mental note that if he survived this war he would train the sentries to perform their duties more efficiently. He should not be able to sneak in and out of a camp without raising any kind of suspicion. The archers at least should know better.

Arthur plodded away towards the Greek camp. He moved closer to a large pine tree until he noticed what was on it. On one of the low hanging branches was the Golden Fleece, and around the base of the tree was a dragon. Arthur bit into his hand to keep from crying out in surprise and rolled across the boundary line without going near the beast. He would have to ask Thalia about that later.

Once inside the camp, Arthur took in his surroundings. Reyna was supposed to arrive around here, but he was not sure where. Thanks to his mother's essence, Arthur could see perfectly in moonlight. He saw a group of cabins forming an Omega shape. One was glowing silver and seemed to call out to him. glancing across the grounds he saw a large barn, training equipment which included a lava covered rock wall, and an amphitheater. Overall, the camp looked more disorganized than Camp Jupiter. In the distance, Arthur noticed water and a small yacht sitting on it.

"I thought I saw something over here," a female voice called out.

Arthur made sure his hood was up and silently moved away from the voice.

"Well, what did it look like Clarisse?" a male voice replied.

"Honestly Butch, it seemed like a flash of silver, like what the Hunters wear," the female, Clarisse, told him.

Butch grunted, "I know you trained yourself to spot them and follow their movements to win at capture the flag, but I thought they were helping the Amazons with something down south though?"

Arthur managed to climb up a tree to stay out of their line of sight. The two figures made their way into his view shortly afterwards. The girl, Clarisse, was muscled and carried a spear that sparked with electricity. Her armor was blood red and had the symbol of the boar on it. Arthur guessed she was a daughter of Ares. The guy, Butch, was wearing a sleeveless shirt covered by a leather jerkin. On one of his arms he had a rainbow tattoo, and he carried a bronze sword. It took Arthur a moment, but he recognized Butch as the son of Iris he had saved a while ago. Maybe this was his ticket into the camp, he thought.

"Maybe they finished early," Clarisse growled.

Butch held his hands up, "Don't get so upset Clarisse. For all we know it could be some Roman trying to sneak into our camp and wreck havoc."

Arthur decided to take a risk at this point and dropped from his position, "Well I am a Roman, but my intentions are not hostile I promise."

Butch and Clarisse turned around faster than Arthur could blink, both of their weapons at the ready. Butch immediately recognized the armor of the son of Artemis, but Clarisse considered him an enemy and attacked. She lunged with her spear, causing Arthur to flip backwards, further into Camp Half-Blood.

"Clarisse! Wait!" Butch cried, but it was too late. The daughter of Ares had entered into a battle trance, she would not stop until her enemy was destroyed.

As Arthur landed in the open of the camp, signals went off all around him. Three people surrounded Arthur, weapons at the ready. Arthur smirked and prepared to draw his knife when Clarisse leapt out of the trees and caught him off guard with a kick to the chest. Arthur stumbled backwards and nearly fell over. He drew his blade and met Clarisse's spear as the point came towards him again. He parried the point away and moved closer to Clarisse. He was trying to eliminate the spears distance advantage, but Clarisse was wise to his ploy. Everytime he stepped forward she moved back. The two continued their dance for a moment before one of the three sentries stepped in to help.

A child of Hermes, at least that was Arthur's guess, slashed at him with a sword. Arthur rolled away from the attack and jumped to gain some distance from both of his attackers. However, a blast of magic came flying towards his chest as he was in midair. Luckily, his reflexes allowed him to twist his body to avoid being hit.

"Watch it Lou, this guy has some moves," the son of Hermes said.

"Well keep him busy while I prepare another spell," the girl named Lou said.

Arthur knew he had to end this now, but without killing anyone. He heard horse hooves in the distance and knew that meant reinforcements. He drew his bow and launched arrows out of his Hunter quiver. Each arrow hit its mark, pinning the three assailants to the ground. The last remaining demigod seemed to shake a little before drawing his own bow.

"Will! Don't do it! This guy is a friend," Butch called out, finally catching up to everyone.

The last demigod turned, "What are you talking about? He attack us."

"Trust me," Butch started to say. He was cut off by the sound of galloping getting closer. Arthur turned and aimed his bow at the charging reinforcements only to see a centaur aiming a bow at him.

"Chiron, wait!" Butch yelled.

Arthur and Chiron both froze. Arthur thought the name Chiron sounded familiar. He began to search his memory for when he had heard that name before. He felt it had something to do with the Hunt, but he could not place it.

"Who are you and why are you attacking my students?" Chiron demanded.

Arthur lowered his bow a little, "I'm not here to hurt anyone. Your students attacked me first. I was told by my sisters that my help would be needed here. A friend of mine is on her way to this place and she is being hunted."

"Well that answers one of my questions and a question unasked, but you still failed to tell us who you are," Chiron pointed out.

Arthur shook his head, keeping his hood up, "I cannot tell you that. My being here could cause trouble."

"Why?" Butch asked, "You are a friend and helped me make it to camp. What kind of trouble could you cause?"

Before Arthur could answer Clarisse was behind him. When had she gotten free from the arrows, Arthur thought.

"Enough of this, show us your face," she said as she ripped Arthur's hood off.

Lou cast a spell to produce better light in the area and everyone gasped. Arthur's silver eyes glittered with moonlight, and his auburn hair on top of his head swayed a little in the breeze. He knew hung his head, trying to hide the features that would condemn him.

"How is this possible? Are you truly her child?" Chiron asked, breathlessly.

Arthur glanced up at him, "It's a long story, but yes I am her son. Now please, I have to find where my _praetor_ will be appearing. She is traveling with the Athena Parthenos and she might be able to stop the rift between the Romans and Greeks."

Everyone's eyes widened at that.

"I guess Prissy and Annabeth actually got it," Clarisse muttered.

Arthur shrugged, "I don't know about that, but in case she does not make it, you have to prepare. The Romans have received siege weapons that will tip this battle more into their favor. If you can, I would suggest scouting their lines and sabotaging anything."

"How can we trust you Roman?" Clarisse demanded.

"Based on what's happening, I would say you can't. You should know, I was raised with the Hunt and Orion has killed many of my sisters. I want revenge on him and Gaea for sending him against the Hunt. I will do whatever it takes to bring her down," Arthur said, the silver flames starting to fill his eyes.

Clarisse grunted, "Well if you can still promise me a good fight, I guess I can trust you. Will, Cecil, Lou Ellen, go see what you can do to stop these siege engines."

The three nodded and headed off towards the Roman lines. Arthur hoped they could be stealthy. He did not want the archers to cause a bigger mess of things.

"The Legion is splintered. There will be at least two cohorts who will help in the fight against Gaea and not fight you Greeks," Arthur told Clarisse.

"How can you be sure of this?" she asked.

"I'm the _Venator_ ," Arthur said. Butch's eyes bulged a little at that.

"I've heard that name in the chatter I've picked up," Butch muttered, "I did not understand why people would ask about a hunter. Now it makes sense."

Chiron eyed Arthur warily, "I know you want to help someone, but could you fight with us when the time comes. Your presence with us may secure the Roman help you mention."

"I came only to help Reyna, if not for that I would not even be here. Mom is afraid of what Zeus may do when he finds out I'm her child," Arthur said. He would rather not fight if he could avoid it. He wanted to keep his secret a while longer.

"Look runt, we will do what we can to help, if she is truly coming to help us win this war. For now, we need all the help we can get to fight those monsters your leader called in. We realized that they will turn on him as soon as the battle is over, even if you idiotic Romans don't," Clarisse said.

Arthur felt his anger grow and the Curse seep into his blood. How dare this girl insult his family in front of him? He would teach her a lesson she would never forget. Arthur realized that his line of thought would lead to more problems and began his breathing exercises to stop his anger from growing.

"Watch who you insult girl," he told her, "I will help in the fight, if only to save my family from pigheaded morons like you."

Clarisse glared at Arthur for a moment before she started laughing. Arthur was confused at this and glanced at Butch and Chiron. Both of them just shrugged and stared at Clarisse.

After several seconds of laughing, Clarisse wiped her eyes, "I like you Roman. Any one that will fight for those he cares about is good in my book."

"Took Percy to get her that way," Butch muttered.

"What was that Rainbow Dash?" Clarisse exclaimed.

Before they could argue anymore, Arthur spoke up, "Is there somewhere I can rest for a moment. I've been traveling all day and if I'm about to fight a war, some sleep would be good. Even if it's an hour."

Chiron nodded and led Arthur towards the large building in the camp. Clarisse and Butch started to alert the campers so they could prepare for the upcoming battle. Arthur could not believe he was giving up his hunt for Reyna. Her mission needed to succeed for the demigods to even have a chance at defeating Gaea.

Chiron told Arthur to use the couch in the main room for now, and cantered off to assist with the preparation of the camp. Arthur laid on the couch and drifted off to sleep. He kept his armor on as usual, so when he woke up he could head straight to the fight. As he slept he dreamt of the three demigods who went to sabotage the Romans siege engines. They met up with some pale kid in a hawaiian shirt and had started working with him to slow the Romans down.

He awoke when he heard shouting outside of the room he was in. He got off the couch and went out of the door to see all of the Greeks running towards their boundary. Octavian was making his move early. Arthur ran towards the boundary with the Greeks and leapt into the trees above them.

Clarisse yelled, "Romans, you have fired on our camp! Withdraw or be destroyed!"

Arthur knew it was now or never. His cohort was surrounded by monsters, and Octavian was about to destroy the Legion. He jumped in front of Clarisse and the Greeks.

"Romans, listen to your _Venator_. I know I have no power in the Legion, but listen now. Our enemies want us divided into Greeks and Romans to destroy us. We must unite now to fight off the treats that are at our door!"

Octavian stepped forward, "I knew you were an abomination! There can be no male champion of Diana."

Arthur threw back his hood, revealing his eye and hair color, the time for secrets was over, "You may be right Augur, but there is an adopted Roman son of Artemis! Now stand down before you commit treason."

"The only treasonous ones, are the _praetors_ , including Percy Jackson, the ambassador to Pluto, and you," Octavian sneered, "Legion, _cuneum_ _formate_! CHARGE!"

Arthur pulled out his bow, hoping the division in the Legion was truly there. Suddenly a loud whistle rang across the battlefield. Arthur fell to the ground clutching his ears. His extra sensitive hearing made the whistle worse. When his hearing returned he saw Will pointing and shouting, "LOOK!"

A large statue was flying through the air, courtesy of several winged horses. On one of the pegasi was Reyna. Arthur marveled at the sight as the sun rose behind her making her seem to glow in the morning light. Arthur was suddenly distracted by a warning from his mother. He looked towards the moon, which was setting, a received a vision that scared him.

The vision was of the seven of the prophecy and the gods fighting the Giants. Everything seemed to be going great until one demigod with black hair and sea-green eyes was hit in the face. Arthur watched in horror as a drop of blood pooled in the demigod's nose and dropped upon the ancient stones. The earth trembled and shook as the last of the Giant's were finished off. It did not matter though, the blood of Olympus had been shed. Gaea was on her way.

At that moment all Hades broke loose as Gaea's words brought Arthur out of his vision, BUT IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY, YOU MAY DIE TOGETHER.

Reyna took charge of the Legion immediately. Those that were together formed ranks and began to attack the monsters army, trying to link with the rest of the Legion. The Greeks joined the fray as well and the battle became an all out fight for the future of Olympus. Arthur drew his bow and an arrow. He was not sure what the outcome of this battle would be, but he would go down seeking revenge for his sisters, and defending those he cared about.

 **Well I hope you guys enjoyed it. I have some ideas for future stories that I am currently trying to flesh out. Maybe some AU stuff or even some different universes. I did manage to put out a Christmas one-shot that had some Dr Suess flavor to it. If you are interested it was called How Death Breath Saved Christmas. Anyway thanks for reading and the next chapter will be up soon.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys. Before the chapter starts thank you to each one of y'all who have looked at and read this story. It has almost reached four thousands views! Never thought it would get that far. Here is the next chapter for y'all.**

Arthur had never seen a battle quite like this. Any time the Romans went into battle, there were clearly drawn lines on each side. You would push forward and the enemy would be there. This fight, on the slope of what the Greeks called Half-Blood Hill, was chaos. Thanks to Octavian's ambition and stupidity, most of Rome's demigods were surrounded by monsters. There was no strategy, no organization. There was only survival.

He released his arrow and it struck the throat of an ogre. Arthur knew he had to make the most out of each shot he fired. Whenever he saw a demigod about to be struck down by a blow they did not see coming, he fired and killed the offending monster. A centaur charged his perch, only to be filled with five arrows in the blink of an eye.

Arthur smirked and thanked Artemis for adopting him. Leaping over the corpse in front of him, Arthur move further into the fray. He knew as an archer he would do better from a distance, but they had to forge a path to the Second, Third, and Fourth Cohorts. Otherwise, they would not survive this battle. To help with this goal he was needed in the melee. Bow in one hand, and his knife in the other, Arthur began to slaughter his foes.

He fought tooth, claw, and knife killing anything that stood in his path. The Greeks watched as this lone man seemed to be forcing the monster back on his own. His hood was up, but they saw his heavily muscled and tattooed arms flex with every swing of his bow or knife. Several remarked that if they did not know better, they would assume Ares himself had entered the battle. They began to shout in excitement and pushed against the army with more fervor, until a sickening sound echoed across the field.

CRUNCH

"NO! I WILL RIP YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!" Clarissa yelled.

Arthur looked over towards the commotion and saw Clarisse running towards a large ogre who had crushed the legs of another Greek. Arthur rushed over to help evacuate the wounded demigod, as Clarisse had engaged the ogre.

"Medic!" Arthur yelled. A daughter of Apollo appeared next to him in seconds.

"Oh no, not Chris," she murmured. One of her siblings came by with a stretcher. Arthur helped them get Chris onto it and they ran off.

"Clarisse has lost her mind," a camper said next to him.

"What do you expect? Her boyfriend almost got flattened by that thing," a girl reprimanded.

"I understand, but if we can't calm her some she will get seriously wounded," the first camper replied.

Arthur looked at them quizzically, "What do you mean?"

The first camper sighed, "She's a daughter of Ares. When they are in battle and focus on the fight they become unstoppable thanks to their dad's blessing. However, if they let their rage control them, they become more vulnerable."

Arthur understood what he meant. Clarisse was definitely raging instead of fighting. Her boyfriend, Chris, must mean an awful lot to her if she was losing her temper this badly. From what Arthur saw of her, she was a cold, calculating warrior in battle. Arthur had to help her, or she would get herself killed for nothing. From what he saw, Chris would live through his wounds.

"Don't worry," he told the demigods, "I'll get Clarisse out of there."

They stood there dumbfounded. Wasn't this guys the crazy son of Artemis, they thought. How could he do anything? Before they could ask, Arthur had disappeared into the fighting.

Arthur made it over to Clarisse in no time. A circle had formed around the combatants, and Arthur grimaced when he saw the results of the fight so far. Clarisse was severely wounded, one arm was bleeding and looked broken. She wobbled and Arthur saw several more cuts on her legs. She stood with her spear stuck in the ground and her shield broken at her feet. The ogre moved forward raising a sword to kill his prey.

As the blade came down, Arthur leapt into action. He knocked Clarisse backwards and parried the blade with his bow. Thankfully, the limbs of his bow were made of a flexible form of the silver his mother gave him. Otherwise, his bow would have been cleaved in two. Clarisse collapsed on the ground from her wounds. Several demigods rushed her off the field as the ogre roared.

"Who dares stop my meal?"

Arthur did not even bother to answer. He grabbed two gladii from nearby fallen Romans and thanked their corpses. The blades gleamed wickedly in Arthur's hands as he turned to face the ogre. He slowly walked towards his opponent.

"Oh, so I get a stronger demigod to eat. Good. More muscle means more meat," the ogre gloated.

Arthur smirked, "Careful what you wish for."

Arthur's eyes blazed silver as he activated his curse. All anyone saw was the silver flames come out from under his hood. He moved quicker than the ogre could follow. Once behind the creature Arthur brought both blades across his spinal column. The ogre collapsed and Arthur took off its head with the swing of one blade. His control over the Curse of Mithras was seriously improving his natural skills and abilities. His strength and speed seemed to be off the charts whenever he used it. Too bad it usually exhausted him if he used it too long. As the ogre dissolved, Arthur turned to the other monsters.

"Who's next?" He snarled.

The monsters flooded towards him. Arthur let loose a tremendous howl and met the onslaught willingly. He heard battle cries from the demigods behind him. Their morale was lifted as their current leader was saved. Now it seemed as though they were using Arthur as their rallying point.

"To the son of Artemis!" many Greeks yelled as they joined Arthur in the melee.

Before too long Arthur was covered in monster dust and blood. The battle was slowly moving into the monsters' favor though. Arthur was worried and knew that unless a miracle happened they were going to lose. That's when salvation came in the form of a fireball from the sky.

"The Heroes of Olympus are here," several demigods shouted.

Arthur could not hear anything else that was said. He saw Angela surrounded and barely fending off her attackers. Next to her was one of the archers who fought alongside him when they protected Rome years ago. Arthur's focus became saving the two of them, even if they were across the field of battle from him. Arthur acted quickly and shot seven arrows around the two of them. As the monsters fell, Angela glanced up and saw Arthur who raised a salute to her.

"What happened?" Kyle was freaking out.

Angela kissed him, "An old friend stopped by to help."

Kyle then noticed the arrows and the silver fletching on them. His eyes widened, and he whipped his head around.

In a hushed tone he said, "The Venator is here."

Meanwhile, Arthur waded back into the fight. The appearance of the seven heroes definitely raised the spirits of the demigods around him. They were even able to unite all the Cohorts from Rome. It was not until Gaea actually rose from the ground that the demigods had trouble. Even then, she was suddenly picked up by a large bronze monstrosity. Arthur left that fight to others and did what he could to survive the enemies in front of him.

In the distance, Arthur saw Reyna fighting fiercely from atop her pegasus. She slashed and stabbed and monsters fell in front of her. Arthur was glad she was made praetor, she was a natural leader. Even the Greeks seemed to follow her direction as she fought from the front of both armies.

Arthur noticed something wrong behind her as she pressed forward. One of the dog headed monsters was aiming a large spear at her back. It would surely kill the praetor, who had nothing but her cloak to protect her, if it struck. Arthur summoned all the energy he could from his curse to travel faster than he ever had. He was trying to get in between his leader and her would be killer to stop the spear. As he did the monster released the spear with all of its might.

The first thing Arthur registered was the pain. The spear went straight through him, starting at his side his side and coming out his back. Arthur had been wounded before but there was something different about this weapon. The wound burned his insides. Must be poison, he thought. As he broke the ends of the spear so it was shorter and would not hinder his movement, a brilliant flash lit up the sky. Someone had shot an onager at Gaea while she was in the sky.

Reyna turned to shield her eyes from the blast. As the light faded, she opened her eyes and saw a large man. He seemed like a walking wall of muscle, wearing a silver hoodie and leather armor. As Reyna studied him, she noticed he was clutching a wound which dripped with blood. The blood shimmered like rubies as it spilled on the ground. Reyna looked at the spear and the angle it stuck out of him. She realized that it would have killed her if not for the strange figure in front of her.

"We need a healer here!" Reyna shouted. The demigods were crowding around and she lost track of the man. Before anyone arrived, the man who saved her had disappeared. Reyna looked around worriedly. Angela and Kyle approached her, as she slid off her pegasus.

"What's wrong Praetor Reyna?" Kyle asked.

"A man saved me, but he is gravely injured. I can't find him," Reyna said frantically.

Angela looked worried, "Where did he go?"

Reyna looked around until she noticed shimmering pools of the man's blood, "This way."

The three followed the blood trail up to the border of the Greek camp. The blood seemed to stop right at the border. The three were confused, but made there way into the camp. Several demigods were rushing around helping the wounded and moving the dead. Reyna grabbed a passing girl.

"Did you see someone come through here? He was tall, had tattoos on his arms, and wore a silver hood."

Angela's eyes widened, "Did you say silver?"

Reyna nodded as the girl answered, "You mean the son of Artemis. He was amazing. He just walked by saying something about a nap. I pointed him towards the dining pavilion."

She barely got the words out when Angela grabbed her shoulders, "Where is he?"

The girl pointed them towards the pavilion, unsure about the wild look in Angela's eyes. Angela took off running, Reyna and Kyle barely on her tail. Reyna yelled for her to slow down, but nothing could stop Angela. Her little brother was hurt and was hiding it, she had to help him. Hopefully, they would make it in time.

Arthur's breathing was growing ragged as he reach the dining pavilion. He found a table that had a moon carved into it and sat down. If he was going to die, he wanted to be near his mother somehow. This seemed to be his only option. He had lost a lot of blood and the poison was working it way through his body. He was not afraid to die, in fact it would be nice to avoid that prophecy Uncle Apollo gave him years ago. He hated not saying goodbye to his two best friends though.

Angela would never forgive him. If somehow he made it to Elysium, Angela would find him and kill him again. She would be guaranteed Elysium when she died for certain. Even if it took her a good, long life to get there. Arthur mentally shuddered at the image of Angela's ghost chasing him around with her giant hammer, yelling at him for dying without permission. She was not the person he regretted not saying goodbye to the most though. That honor, for what it was, belonged to Reyna.

Reyna. The girl he vouched for to enter the Legion. The one person to make him come out of his quiet solitude. It was her influence that led the rest of the Third to accept him as a hero instead of an abomination, and from there others in the Legion did the same. Reyna, who cared for Jason, had became Praetor and was referred to as the Queen of Rome by some of the legionnaires. With her and Jason as the leaders, the two of them could certainly stop the ludicrous hierarchy which existed in the Legion. No one should be entitled to better treatment because of what Cohort they are in.

Arthur realized there was more about Reyna that he would miss than her skills as a leader. He remembered her laugh, and the look in her eyes she got while training. He remembered how she befriended him when no one else, except Angela, did. She was beautiful, even in the middle of battle. She was the Queen of Rome, and Arthur would do anything to protect her. Which come to think of it, he had just given everything to keep her safe since he was dying. The only reason he was still alive right now was his thread had not been cut by the Fates.

Exhaustion overwhelmed Arthur, and he laid his head down. This really was not such a bad way to go. He had died saving his best friend, that would make a good epithet on his grave. He rolled his head to gaze at the abnormally large pine tree he never learned about. As he closed his eyes, Arthur's last thought was, who are those three running towards? Finally, darkness engulfed him.

Reyna was worried when she saw the lone figure in the dining pavilion. He was covered in blood and was no longer moving. Picking up her pace she ran towards him with Angela and Kyle close behind. When they reached the body, Angela checked for vitals while Kyle carefully removed the back portion of the man's armor. Reyna pulled out what first aid supplies she had and began to treat the wound.

"It looks like there is poison eating away his flesh," Reyna said.

Angela handed her a waterskin, her hands shaking, "Here. Unicorn drought should help. Kyle see if the Greeks have any of that nectar stuff they can spare."

Kyle ran off to find the medics.

"We need to turn him over and force him to eat some ambrosia," Reyna said, panic filling her voice. She did not know why, but this man seemed familiar to her. She had never seen a man with this many tattoos who called himself the son of Artemis. Why would he save her like he did? Also, why was Angela so broken up about him.

"We should lay him on the table then," Angela replied.

The two women struggled to lift the heavily muscled hero, but after several minutes managed to lay him on the table. Angela removed the rest of his leather armor, as Reyna stared at the wolf symbol on it. It looked just like Arthur's. Reyna shook her head, Arthur had not been heard from in two years. Most of Rome thought he was dead, except the archers and Angela. The archers looked up to him as a role model, and Angela thought of him as a younger brother. Of course they would not give up hope.

Reyna rolled up her cloak as a pillow and laid it on the table. Next, she gently removed the man's hood and laid his head on the makeshift pillow. Reyna gazed at his auburn hair and beard. This proved to her that it was not Arthur. When she had met him, he had brownish hair, and definitely did not have a beard. The man in front of her seemed like he lived in the wilderness all his life. She had to admit though, the tattoos were hot and if he trimmed the beard he would look even better.

Reyna looked up to see Angela with tears running down her face, "What's wrong Angela?"

Angela sobbed, "I can't believe it's him. We have to save him."

Angela applied more unicorn drought to his wounds, but Reyna was confused, "What do you mean? Did you know this man?"

Angela's mouth fell open, "How dare you disrespect him? After you honored him for his service when you became Praetor."

Reyna shook her head, "I don't know what you mean. The only person I honored was Arthur. This man can't be him, Arthur did not have tattoos or a beard. In fact, Arthur was not quite as solid as this guy. If we are going to save him we need to hurry with the ambrosia."

Angela's eyes never left Reyna's, "Reyna, you said yourself before you left for the ancient lands that you wished the Venator was with us still. Well, he is lying in front of you! Believe me, this is him!"

Reyna stared at Angela disbelieving everything she just heard. No way was this man Arthur. Arthur was built, but he was not as solid as this man. This man looked as if he could go one on one in a boxing match with Atlas. Reyna looked at the man's arms and knew there was an easy way to find out if he was who Angela thought he was. She slowly started to untie the vambraces on his arms, left side first. She removed it and saw a Celtic knot tattoo. As she undid the other side, her hands shook from nervousness. Once the laces were undone, she slowly removed the right vambrace. There, for all to see, was the SPQR tattoo of the legion, with the symbol of the bow with it.

"Wolf Face," Reyna gasped.

 **I hope you liked it. Next chapter will be up soon.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys, here is the next chapter of the Venator.**

Arthur woke up to a canvas ceiling. He did not know where he was or how he got here, but he did know his body ached. He flexed his fingers, and even the nails on his hand hurt. He slowly moved his head to the side to get a better idea of where he was.

"Oh, you're awake," a voice called. Arthur looked over and saw the blonde Apollo kid from before the battle. His eyes widened as he remembered what had happened. He was supposed to be dead.

"You may not remember me, I'm Will Solace. Best healer here at Camp Half-Blood."

Arthur started to speak, but struggled for his words, "W…w….wh…"

Will put a hand gently on him, "Easy, you are in a medical tent we set up. The infirmary filled up pretty quick. You scared your friends. They swore you were dead when I arrived."

Arthur did not know what he was talking about. Who could have saved him? How did they save him? He started to raise up in the bed. Will yelled in surprise and helped him up.

"You shouldn't be moving. You're not fully healed," Will said.

Arthur breathed heavily, "Fast...healer."

Will nodded, "You must be," he checked Arthur's wounds, "With a hole the size you had, even with my dad's help, I assumed two weeks of recovery."

Arthur winced, "How long?"

His mouth was still dry. It felt like he had eaten Thalia's salty cooking for five meals straight. He never wanted a drink so bad as the night she burnt that elk. He really needed some water or nectar now.

"You've been unconscious for several days," Will said.

Arthur's eyes about bulged out of his head when he heard that. Were the Romans still around? No one from Camp Jupiter, except Angela, knew he was here. They would have packed up and left with no issues. The pain in His body was slowly dulling as Arthur became more alert. He looked down for the first time since his eyes opened and saw he was not wearing his armor, or a shirt.

"Where is my armor, and my hoodie?" Arthur asked Will.

Will smiled, "Your hoodie is right here. One of the Romans took your armor. She said something about fixing it."

Arthur grabbed his hoodie and swung his legs to the side of the bed, "Did she have a large warhammer?"

Will nodded, "Yes. Before you ask the obvious questions on your face let me answer them. The Romans are here, your praetor has your weapons, and no you cannot put on that hoodie yet. Your wounds need to heal without that thing rubbing the bandages. Also there is a huge hole in it. Sorry in advance for any of the Aphrodite cabin."

Arthur grimaced as he tried to stand. He made it all the way up before his left leg gave up on him, and he fell to the bed. Will tried to catch him, but Arthur weighed too much for him and he fell to the floor. Arthur went to help him but was stopped by laughing.

"Solace, you need to hit the weights," a loud voice called.

Arthur turned his head to see Clarisse standing next to his bed, holding her side from laughter. Will pulled himself up and glared at Clarisse.

"I can't help the fact that this guy is like a tractor. No offense," Will added the last part as he looked at Arthur.

Arthur waved him off, "Do you have some nectar?"

Will handed him a canteen, "Remember, not too much or you will burn up."

Arthur smirked, "I know my limits don't worry."

Arthur tilted the canteen back and began to drink. While most demigods could only take one gulp, Arthur drank half the canteen. Will and Clarisse eyed him warily as he handed the container back to Will.

"Thanks. Clarisse, could you help me walk. I've been in this bed for too long and would like some fresh air."

Clarisse stared at him blankly for a second before answering, "Y-yea. I needed to speak with you anyway."

"Thanks," Arthur replied. He turned to Will and added, "Don't worry, I'm sturdier than your average demigod."

Will just nodded as Clarisse helped Arthur stand. She wrapped his arm around her shoulder and acted as a crutch for him. The two walked out of the tent and into the brightly lit outside.

Arthur was able to better appreciate the camp in the daylight, without being critically injured. Demigods roamed around laughing and enjoying life. They were in canoes, on the rock wall, and just running around pranking each other. Arthur saw nymphs interacting with the campers as well. It looked like pure chaos and Arthur loved it. It was built into the land instead of on top of it like Camp Jupiter was.

"Where do you want to go punk?" Clarisse asked.

Arthur shrugged, "I need to find Praetor Reyna probably. She will need a report for my absence these last few years."

Clarisse grunted, "I think I saw her heading towards the cabins earlier. We will try there first."

Arthur nodded, "How are your injuries?"

Clarisse looked at him, "They are fine, thanks to you. If you had not stopped that ogre I would be dead. Thanks for that."

"Don't worry about it. We are family, we should look out for each other," Arthur replied.

Clarisse shrugged, "Some of my family make me want to wring their necks."

Arthur laughed, "Well they wouldn't be family if they didn't make you feel that way sometimes."

"So how are you Artemis' son?" Clarisse asked.

Arthur knew this question would come. He really did not want to explain everything, but he could no longer hide. He hoped Clarisse would take a simple answer, "She adopted me by fusing her blood with me."

Clarisse was shocked, but did not push for more. It seemed to her that the son of Artemis wanted to keep some of his past as a secret still. That was fine with her, he could share when he wanted. The two of them walked on without a word for several minutes. Arthur was causing them to walk slower than usual.

"Well, you're okay in my book," Clarisse told him.

It was Arthur's turn to be stunned, "That's it? No other questions?"

Clarisse laughed, "Listen punk, and this stays between the two of us or I'll kill you. If you prove yourself to be a good fighter and are not my enemy, we will be friends. I'm even friends with that idiot son of Poseidon. I pick on people to keep up my image. Just make sure you know, you and I are cool."

Arthur nodded and grinned. Clarisse seemed like a hard headed fool when he first met her. Now that he caught a glimpse of her without the shell, he could tell she had a caring side. He was glad to have found one friend in the Greek camp. If nothing else, Clarisse would probably use force to stop any ill-treatment he received.

After that, the two talked like old friends. Clarisse asked about all of his tattoos, while Arthur asked about the camp. Chris joined them as they searched for Reyna. He was in a wheelchair until his legs fully healed. He thanked Arthur for helping Clarisse before joint in their discussion. Those who knew Clarisse and Chris, knew they were not very public with their relationship. As they watched the three walk around camp, laughing and joking, they were surprised. Especially when Clarisse leaned down to kiss Chris at one point.

Finally, after about thirty minutes of searching, they found Reyna. Arthur saw she was talking to some girl who looked Native American. Reyna looked sad as they talked, so Arthur focused ears to pick up, what was being said. He could not catch much, but from the sounds of things Aphrodite told Reyna she would not find love with a demigod, and the Native American girl was telling her to make her own destiny when it came to that. That was good advice in his opinion. Arthur was saddened when he heard Reyna would not fall for a demigod though. Now he knew he would never have a chance to be with her. He would just have to make sure she was happy then, no matter who she was with.

"Hey Roman, is this yours?" Clarisse yelled as she motioned towards Arthur.

Reyna turns around and about fell to the ground. Quickly regaining her composure she smirked, "I'm not sure who that lost puppy belongs to anymore. I'll do you a favor and take the mutt off your hands though."

The Native American girl laughed, "Clarisse, I need to talk to you about the next capture the flag game."

"Alright Piper, let me drop one of these sacks of potatoes off with Reyna and we can go."

Chris shouted in outrage at being called a sack of potatoes.

"Don't worry," Clarisse said, "You're a sack of potatoes that I intend to keep around."

Chris smiled until he realized what it was Clarisse said. He cried in outrage again, while everyone else laughed at him. Reyna came and took Clarisse's place as Clarisse pushed Chris along and walked off with Piper. As they walked off, Reyna glared at Arthur.

"Legionnaire, why are you shirtless and covered in tattoos?"

Arthur rubbed his head, "Doctor's orders about the shirt, Praetor. As for the tattoos, I was alone for a long time, and thought they looked cool. I did not think it was against the rules to get them."

Reyna glared at him, "You realize that all the archers are gonna want tattoos like yours now."

"Sorry," Arthur said quietly.

Reyna chuckled, "Don't be. They look awesome and make you seem tougher. I didn't recognize you when I saw them."

Arthur was quiet as they walked. He was not sure what to say to Reyna, but it was nice walking with her.

Reyna ended the silence, "Where were you Arthur?"

Arthur hung his head, "Artemis gave me a mission. I've taking care of a house for the Hunt, as well as gaining control of a curse on me."

Reyna stopped, "By the way…"

Arthur turned to her. She looked up at him and smiled, then punched him. Arthur was caught of guard and fell to the ground. Reyna shook her hand in pain.

"Gods, it's like you're made of marble," Reyna said.

Arthur groaned, "What was that for?

Reyna fixed him with her stare, "For not saying goodbye, and lying to me."

Arthur slowly picked himself up, "I understand the not saying goodbye, but what did I lie about?"

"Oh, think hard, Champion of Diana. Think long and hard," Reyna said sternly.

Arthur gulped, realizing what she meant. He was known in the Legion as the Champion of Diana to protect him and his mother. The only person he ever told was Angela, and that was because of the bond they created. He did not get to spend enough time with Reyna to tell her. Arthur looked at her cautiously.

"My mother figured it would be best. We were not sure how demigods or even the gods would react. To keep both of us safe we pretended I was her champion instead of her son. You saw how badly they treated me, and they did not even know the whole truth."

Reyna nodded, "What about this curse you mentioned?"

Arthur sighed, "This is going to be difficult. I'm sure you have heard the story of the faded god Mithras."

Reyna thought for a moment, recalling the tale. She nodded and motioned for Arthur to continue.

"You are looking at the last descendent of Mithras," Reyna gasped at his statement. "The curse Mithras placed on his offspring carried to their children as well. I'm the adopted son of Artemis, but the direct legacy of Mithras. His curse causes me to lose control of my anger in battle or when someone upsets me. When the anger overtakes me it causes me to attack anyone and anything in my way. The curse was meant to destroy Rome, but my mother taught me meditation techniques to control it. You saw it almost take over your first day."

Reyna thought for a second, "When your eyes turned into flames?"

Arthur nodded, "It's ok now though. I have the curse under control for the most part. In fact I used it to save you. That's why I'm so weak right now. It enhances my natural abilities to a level that is potentially greater than the big three. The downside is, however much my abilities are enhanced, multiply the by five and that's how wore out I am after."

Reyna was shocked to say the least. Her friend was just full of secrets. He struggled with a tougher life than she realized. He was adopted as a Greek and was the legacy of an outcast Roman god. However, he managed to make some friends and a name for himself in the Legion. He may not know it, but little kids in New Rome ran around pretending to be him. Reyna was glad she created the position Venator of Rome for him. She needed to let him know today about that.

"Let's go to my tent. I have your weapons and Angela should have finished your armor by now. Plus, I have a couple things to give you."

Arthur was ready to get his armor and weapons back, although that son of Apollo would keep him out of it most likely. He wondered if the son of Apollo kept him topless as eye candy. Chuckling to himself, Arthur walked a little. The nectar from earlier was starting to kick in and he did not have to rely on Reyna's help as much. The two of them ignored that fact and continued to walk with their arm around the other. They were oblivious to how much the other enjoyed the time together.

When they arrived at Reyna's tent, Angela and Kyle were already there waiting for them. Angela looked tired and was covered in soot. Kyle looked like a little kid on Christmas as soon as he saw Arthur. Arthur noticed the black band around his left arm. It had a silver wolf on it and Arthur shook his head. He had never been hero worshipped before, and he hoped he could stop it before it took off and got out of hand.

"Centurion, sorry I'm late," Arthur said.

Angela smirked, "I'll think of a good punishment for you at some point. Your armor is on the chair."

Arthur laughed, "I'm sure you will, and thanks."

"Let me present your other centurion, Kyle, son of Ceres," Angela motioned towards her boyfriend.

Arthur saluted and bowed a little, "Centurion, I hope to not be trouble for you. I'm sorry to meet you in this rough condition."

Kyle about fainted, "Venator, please. You do not report to me. You report only to the praetor. It is truly my honor to address the Venator of Rome."

Arthur turned to look at Reyna, confusion plain on his face.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you. When I became praetor I created the post Venator of Rome and gave it to you. I felt bad for you and how many in the Legion treated you. I wanted you to be appreciated."

Arthur stood dumbfounded, "Reyna...I don't know what to say."

Reyna regained her hard composure, "You will say 'thank you praetor, I'm sorry for shirking my duties and not being there to train the archers.' Then you will take your weapons and armor and go get cleared by the medic to leave with us tomorrow. I'm not having the awestruck archers complain about leaving without you."

Arthur smirked. The old bossy Reyna was back. He liked her this way, but she did look cute when she was worried about him. Too bad she would never share his attraction since she was not destined to love a demigod. He sighed at the comments about the archers. Apparently the hero worship had taken root already.

"Is there anything else the Queen of Rome desires to be her Venator's duty?" Arthur asked while bowing.

Reyna glared at Angela for teaching Arthur that nickname, "You will also be our liaison with the Hunt. They helped me greatly and I know some of our girls would like a different option than the Legion. Something without pig-headed males, and closer to the awe inspiring Venator."

Arthur nodded, "Mom will be happy to hear that. Although I'm not sure why people see me as a hero or role model. Why must the Legion leave tomorrow?"

Angela answered for Reyna at this question, stopping anymore talk about Arthur's new status in New Rome, "We are missing our home. These Greeks are nice and their camp is great, but if we don't get back to New Rome so this star struck archer here can take me on a real date, I will get upset."

Kyle sputtered at her comment and Arthur laughed. He had truly missed Angela and was glad she found someone to make her happy. Even if that someone viewed Arthur as some mythical hero. Arthur knew he had done great things, but the attention he was getting and would get was the opposite of what he had. He really just wanted a middle ground between the two.

"Heaven forbid you don't eat at that Italian place three times a week Angie," Arthur joked.

Angela reached up and smacked Arthur in the back of the head as hard as she could. Arthur shook from the impact, but hardly moved. Angela was impressed, her brother had been keeping up his workout regimen.

"Don't get smart with me Arty, you may be made out of stone, but I can still whoop you up one side and down the other."

Arthur laughed and wrapped his arms around Angela, "I'm glad you survived."

Angela smiled wide and returned the hug, "I'm glad you woke up. We are gonna have to have a talk about these tattoos and this beard though."

Arthur chuckled, "Sure thing. Kyle, take care of her, and if she gives you trouble spank her. If she still doesn't act right let me know."

Angela's face turn eight different shades of red as Arthur said that. Kyle paled at the fact that the Venator told him to spank his fellow Centurion. Meanwhile, Reyna could not stand up because she was laughing so hard. Angela joined in the laughing realizing Arthur was joking, and Kyle nervously chuckled a couple times.

Arthur stopped laughing and looked at Kyle, "In all seriousness, if you hurt her, know that I was trained by the man-hating goddess herself. Women should be treasured, remember that."

Kyle nodded, "Will you teach these things to us when you return to New Rome?"

Arthur smiled, "If you survive wilderness training."

Kyle paled again as he and Angela walked out to prepare for the campfire. Reyna was lost in thought over the last thing Arthur had just said. She had lost Jason to Piper, but Angela had always hinted at Arthur maybe having feelings for her. Reyna realized that there would probably be no better man on earth than the one raised by Artemis herself. Since he was raised by Artemis though, he probably had sworn an oath like the Hunt had.

"Reyna, or would you prefer me to call you praetor?" Arthur started to say. Reyna came out of her daydream.

"Arthur we are friends. You can call me Reyna unless we are at official meetings. Then it is only ever Praetor," Reyna responded.

"Well, Reyna, what did you have to give me?" Arthur asked.

Reyna turned to her dresser and grabbed Arthur's weapons. After handing them to him, and helping him put them on, she grabbed a small bundle of cloth from her pack. She held it across her palms for Arthur.

"I had this made in hopes of seeing you again," Reyna said, "I know you have a bronze knife, I thought this would even you out better than that throwing knife."

Arthur slowly unwrapped the bundle. He saw a glint of gold as light hit whatever was inside. When he uncovered the metal he saw an Imperial Gold Bowie knife. He was stunned at the beauty of it. The blade was sharp enough to shave with, and the hilt was carved with the design of a wolf.

"Reyna, I don't know what to say," Arthur whispered. He took the knife and its sheath, which was under the blade. He attached them to his belt opposite his Celestial Bronze knife. He was a walking Arsenal with his two gladii crossed on his back, belt of throwing knives over his chest, his two Bowie knives, and his bow with his two quivers. Monsters will have to beware, this wolf's fangs just got sharper, Arthur thought.

Suddenly, Reyna engulfed Arthur in a bone crushing hug, "I'm glad you came back Wolf Face."

"It's good to be back Rey, it's good to be home," Arthur smiled.

He left her to go talk to the medic before the campfire. Arthur hoped he could leave with the Legion in the morning, but he still felt off. It was as if his energy had been emptied and was building back slowly. Hopefully Will can help him figure out what is going on.

Meanwhile, on Mount Olympus, the gods were in a fevered meeting. Artemis stood in the middle of the Council looking at the floor while Zeus hurled accusations at her.

"HOW COULD YOU BREAK YOUR OATH! I SHOULD KILL THAT DEMIGOD RIGHT NOW!"

Artemis quivered, "Father please listen. He is my son, but I kept my oath. The boy is-"

"Enough, I will kill the abomination," Zeus cried.

Flames erupted from the hearth and filled the room. Zeus was blasted back into his throne and his master bolt knocked out of his hand. Artemis felt warmth spread through her as she shielded her eyes. When everyone felt it was safe, they looked at the cause of the flame. In front of Artemis stood a twenty foot tall Hestia.

"Brother you will shut up and listen to your daughter," her voice was calm and even, but the amount of power that resonated in it was astounding. Hestia turned to Artemis and motioned for her to talk.

"Father," Artemis said, eyeing the giant Hestia, "I found the boy as a child and promised his mother I would look after him. The only way I could save the child was to fuse my blood with his. I adopted him and made him my son. He is the only grandchild I can give you because of my oath. Please give him a chance."

Hestia smiled at Artemis and shrunk down to ten feet tall, "Brother, I have kept an eye on the family Artemis created. The boy only wants to know love of a family. He really wants to meet his grandfather."

Zeus sighed,"Was the boy mortal before you adopted him?"

Artemis looked down at the floor again, "No father, his mother said he was a legacy of Mithras."

The council erupted again. Everyone remembered how Mithras tried to force his way onto the council as a major god. The day he had faded was a good day for the Olympians.

"You fused your essence with a demigod!" Hera exclaimed, "That could cause us more problems."

Before anything else could be said, Hestia spoke again, "Yes, the child is different. He is not even a demigod anymore. However, he must live. Apollo had a prophecy concerning him and it has yet to occur. Athena, I'm sure you could study the lad and determine what he truly is as well."

Athenaeum eyes lit up, while everyone else stared at Apollo.

"It was before I lost Delphi. It very well may have been the last prophecy before Python returned in fact."

Artemis groaned, "Could you please share it brother?"

Apollo nodded solemnly, then recited the prophecy.

 _To the Hunter's son the gods must turn_

 _Else they see their legacy burn_

 _The foolish task is at an end_

 _And it's worker will make the world bend_

 _Fire will cleanse Rome_

 _And the homeless, shall finally find a home_

Everyone was silent when he finished. Athena was already trying to decipher the meanings of each line. Artemis had a look of terror on her face, she knew how her father reacted when the livelihood of the gods fell on the shoulders of a demigod. Usually he figured it best to kill the demigod and try to avoid the prophecy. In this case it might work. If she was the Hunter referred to, she knew she would never have another child if Arthur was killed.

Zeus, however, shocked most of the council. He sat calmly on his throne, his brow furrowed in thought. What would shock the other gods more was if they knew what he was thinking.

The child seems to mean a lot to Artemis, Zeus thought, if I kill him she will get angry with me. If I'm honest with myself I've always wanted her to break the oath and have children. Maybe this is the best of both worlds. I guess it couldn't hurt to meet this particular grandson.

Zeus slammed his bolt to gain everyone's attention. Hestia had shrunk back down to her normal size and appearance, and smiled at her brother. She knew he was going to make a good decision. At least she hoped he would.

Zeus cleared his throat, "We will need time to fully examine this prophecy. On the Winter Solstice, when we formally meet, we will decide what to do. Also, during this time, Athena will research and find out what she can about Artemis' son and his position. On the Winter Solstice, we will also decide what to do with him, since he is obviously a major part of this prophecy."

The gods all nodded. Hestia's smile was there, but not as bright. She had hoped that Zeus would completely lose his paranoia, and let the young man be. She looked over at Artemis and saw tears in the Huntress' eyes.

"A wise decision father," Athena said. Everyone knew she wanted to study the boy. He was something different and new.

Artemis steeled her voice as best she could, "Thank you father."

With that Zeus nodded and the council flashed away, except for Artemis and Hestia. Artemis fell to her knees and broke down. Tears streaming down her face as she sobbed. Hestia quickly walked over to her and wrapped her in a hug. When Artemis felt the comforting warmth she looked up.

"There, there child. All is not lost," Hestia comforted.

Artemis choked back a sob, "I know. I just can't afford to lose him Aunt. I care for him so much."

Hestia smiled, "Now you see why the ancient laws forbid so much contact between gods and their children. You found a loophole and made him an unofficial part of you Hunt. If all the gods could do that, nothing would ever get done."

Artemis had never thought of that, "Should I cut ties with him?"

Hestia shook her head, "No, absolutely not. That boy lost everything at the beginning of his life, and you helped him. He will need you now more than ever. His first home was almost destroyed, and many in the second one he knew may abandon him."

"Are you saying that the first and last lines of that prophecy are specifically about my son?" Artemis questioned.

Hestia looked into the hearth, seeing the young man in the flames, "If I were Hermes, I would be betting on it."

 **Thanks for reading y'all. I'm glad to see new favorites and followers every time a chapter comes out. You guys make writing on here worth it. If you like Star Wars and Percy Jackson I will have a crossover story started soon. Thanks for reading the Venator.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Alright guys here is the next chapter, I hope you like it.**

That night, Camp Half-Blood had a bonfire as a farewell to new friends. Arthur honestly did not see the point of eating congealed sugary treats that were burnt by the fire, or singing goofy songs about armor. Arthur decided to stay out of sight during the whole affair. He watched with mild amusement as battle hardened warriors made fools of themselves with the songs the Apollo campers led. Reyna stood up to make a speech about new friendships between the camps towards the end. Arthur felt a pain inside as he thought about how beautiful she looked in the fire light. He hated that Aphrodite told her that she would never love a demigod.

As the bonfire ended, Arthur faded into the woods to think. He knew Reyna wanted him to return to Camp Jupiter with them, but Will had expressed that it would be best for Arthur to stay for a few weeks, to make sure his wounds had fully healed. Arthur was going to follow the son of Apollo's suggestion, since he still felt extremely weak. Also he had been noticing the looks and glares from other members of the Legion. He heard the rumors they whispered, about how he was a Greek spy meant to betray them, and that he had seduced Reyna so he could run the Legion from behind the scenes as the Venator. The only people that seemed to stand by him were the archers and most of the Third Cohort.

Arthur knew he would face opposition from the Legion. His mother took him from them after a great battle the Legion had won. Arthur had been unconscious, but heard that she made quite the scene. She even cursed the First and Second cohorts, Arthur made a mental note to talk to his mother about that. When he did finally return to the Legion, it would be a long road to build the relationship he used to have with his Roman family. From the looks of things, things were back to how they started when he first joined the Legion.

Things were not looking good with the Greeks either. Word had gotten around that he was the son of Artemis, and everybody had a poor opinion of him. Even though he had helped save the camps and save Clarisse, many Greeks considered him an abomination. Butch and Clarisse tried to stomp out the slanderous talk, but it was to no avail. Arthur understood why they did it. He should not exist, Artemis was a sworn maiden and should not have children in any form. Additionally, everyone knew that Artemis hated males, and if she were to truly adopt a child it would most likely be a girl. Arthur hung his head as he sat upon the roof of his mother's cabin, watching the moon as it crossed the sky.

The next morning Reyna would be leaving and Arthur's only friends in camp would be Clarisse and Butch. Both demigods would be busy with rebuilding the camp and training demigods. Arthur would only be sitting in the infirmary and healing if Will had his way. Arthur really wished he could put his shirt on at least. Will Solace had been adamant about him staying out of a shirt for a couple of days. Arthur thought it had more to do with than just not slowing the healing process. Maybe one of Will's sisters liked to look at Arthur's body or something. Arthur groaned and wished he could meet up with the Hunt and travel with them. Things were always easier there and he and his sisters had tons of fun. As he sat pondering his future loneliness, a soft silver light illuminated behind him.

"Hey mom," Arthur said softly. He did not have to look to know who just showed up.

Artemis sat down and put her arm around her son's shoulders, "I hear you're having a tough time my little hero."

Arthur nodded, "I expected the Romans to be upset since I abandoned them for close to three years. I did not think it would be this bad though. It doesn't help that the Greeks think I'm an abomination."

"I do not understand this. You saved a leader of both camps. For Hades sake you took a spear for that little harlot praetor! They should be giving you laurels and acknowledging your accomplishments. I will have a talk with Chiron and then skewer any who speak against you," Artemis raged.

Arthur smirked. His mother would not admit it, but she was as dramatic as he had heard his grandfather was. It was nice to know she cared though.

"Don't worry mom, and please don't insult Reyna. She is a good person. For now, I'm going to heal here with the Greeks, then report to the Romans for my duties as Venator. I'll keep my head down and retire in a few years to take care of the Refuge until I die," Arthur said.

He looked into his mother's eyes, silver meeting silver, and saw an expression he had never seen on her face. It was a look of pure sadness, as if she would never see him again. Artemis was truly worried about the upcoming decision on the solstice, but she could not bring herself to tell Arthur about it. Arthur was concerned about why his mother was sad, but put it behind him. He knew it was unfair that she could spend more time with him than other gods could with their children, but he was a part of the Hunt. He just could not have immortality because he was not a maiden. Since he was in the Hunt that meant he was lucky and got to spend more time with his godly parent. Artemis cleared her throat and the strange look was gone.

"Son, I need you to do me a favor."

Arthur wondered what it was as he nodded.

Artemis waved her arm and three wolf pups appeared lying down in front of Arthur, "These are all that is left of my hunting wolves. Lycaon and his pack wiped the rest out while they hunted Reyna and the Athena Parthenos with Orion. Raise them and teach them to hunt and protect please. Use the blessing I gave you so long ago that earned you the title Venator. There are two females and a male to become the new Alpha in the Hunt's pack. Maybe this will give you so wing to fill your time with, instead of wallowing in loneliness."

Arthur could not believe what his mom was asking, usually she handled the wolves personally. This was such exciting news that he did not care that Artemis had invaded his thoughts. A smile stretched from ear to ear on his face as he looked down at the pups. The little Alpha seemed to be dreaming about running because he was whining and his little legs were moving.

"Do they have names?" Arthur asked.

Artemis smiled, glad to see her son's attitude improve greatly, "Not yet. Maybe you and your companion, who is in her way up here, can figure some out."

"Who…" Arthur could not finish his thought as his mother kissed his head then faded in a soft silver glow. Behind him, Arthur heard someone climbing to the roof of the cabin. Arthur turned and drew one of his throwing knives, placing the pups behind him. As soon as the person's head appeared he threw the knife. He expected to hear the squish of his blade as it entered into his target, instead he heard a loud thunk.

"Wolf Face, could you please not kill me," a familiar feminine voice said quietly.

"Reyna?"

Reyna poked her head up and glared at the wooden board she held. One of Arthur's knives stuck out from it, in the same spot as her forehead would have been. She glared at Arthur, who was holding his hands in surrender.

"I didn't know it was you," Arthur pleaded. Reyna was stalking closer with murder in her eyes.

"Your mom warned you I was coming up, I heard her," Reyna countered.

Arthur's eyes widened and then he hung his head, "I'm sorry Reyna. I'm used to monsters or animals sneaking up to kill me. The Cohorts also tried to prank me a lot when I first came to Rome. It's a reflex from living in the wild and having to defend myself."

Silence followed his comment. He stood there waiting for Reyna to hit him or yell at him some more. It was agony as he waited. Finally, after what seemed like an eon, Reyna moved forward. Arthur flinched when she touched him, but soon realized she was embracing him. Awkwardly, he placed his arms around her, one across her shoulders, the other across her lower back.

"Don't apologize," Reyna whispered, "I forget sometimes how rough a life you have had. I should have announced myself."

Arthur was dumbstruck. He had almost killed the girl, who he did not want to admit he was crushing on, and now she was hugging him. It was a rather affectionate hug too, Reyna had laid her head upon his chest. All Arthur could respond with was, "Oh…"

Reyna rolled her eyes, "Real intelligent response from the great Venator of Rome."

Arthur found his voice, "Hey that's not fair, today was full of surprises. I'm honestly overwhelmed. You told me I'm now an officer in Rome, I almost killed you just now, not to mention mom dropped off some wolf pups I now have to raise."

Arthur would have kept going if Reyna had not placed her hand on his mouth, "Are you telling me that you are distracting me from cute baby wolves?"

Arthur slowly nodded his head.

Reyna then did something that Arthur had never heard her do before. She looked around him at the pups and squealed.

"Oh my gosh they are so adorable!"

Arthur covered his ears. His superior hearing made Reyna's squeal worse for him, "They are also sleeping."

Ryan looked guilty for second, before kneeling down to scratch the heads of the little pups. Arthur joined her and he sat in silence as Reyna adored and cooed at the baby wolves. After several minutes, Reyna looked back at Arthur.

"Why did Artemis give them to you?"

Arthur sighed, "She wants me to raise them. Usually that's her or the lieutenant's job. I guess they will be busy rebuilding the Hunt. Since my senses are heightened she thought it was a good idea."

Arthur was suspicious of his mother too. He felt these wolves had more meaning than Artemis had let on. He did not care at the moment though, he was enjoying the night with a beautiful girl. Nothing could be better in his opinion.

"What are their names?" Reyna asked as she scratched the Alpha behind his ears. The pups had started to wake with all the attention they were receiving.

Arthur smiled, "That one will be named Alpha. He's the only male and will lead the new pack in the future. As for these two I'm not sure. They are both females, but I can't think of good names."

Reyna nodded. She dangled her fingers in front of Alpha who swatted at them with his paw or nipped at them with his little teeth. He was not trying to hurt Reyna, only being playful. The other pups had woken and were stretching on Arthur's legs. One turned to inspect Reyna, while the other leaped into Arthur's face to lick him. He guessed that to the wolf he must smell similar to Artemis.

Reyna regarded the little female wolf as it stared at her. She had never seen a wolf have such remarkable blue eyes in her life. It was like the pups eyes drew you to her.

"That one should be called Sapphire. Just look at her eyes," Reyna pointed out.

Arthur checked the pup for himself, "That is kind of creepy to look at honestly."

The wolf whined and Reyna smacked Arthur's arm, "You hurt her feelings."

Reyna quickly scooped up the little wolf and cuddle her close. She started whispering to the wolf, saying, "He is just a big meany isn't he little Sapphire. Your eyes are beautiful and you will be the best wolf ever."

Sapphire seemed to like that and licked Reyna's nose. Reyna giggled as Arthur rolled his eyes. He apologized to little Sapphire and grabbed Alpha before he could jump off the cabin.

"What about this little girl?" Arthur asked. He was tying leashes to the wolves and staking them down with his knives so the pups could not run off the roof of the building.

Reyna studied the little female that was running circles around Arthur's legs and yipping at him the whole time. While Alpha and Sapphire looked like timber wolves with their fur coloring, this little wolf had a more reddish tint to it. It reminded Reyna of a demigod she knew that had retired last year. The woman had red hair that was a similar color to this wolf. She explained that to Arthur.

"So you want to name her after that demigod?" Arthur questioned.

Reyna smiled, "Yea, I think it would be a fitting name."

Arthur shrugged, "Okay then."

Reyna's eyes lit up, something Arthur never tired of seeing, as she turned to the unnamed pup, "Then it's settled. Your new name will be Maggie."

After securing Alpha, Sapphire, and Maggie to their leashes, Arthur stretched out on the roof of the cabin. His wounds left him really tired and he needed to take it easy. Reyna joined him and the two began to gaze at the stars and watch the moon pass by. Arthur did not want this moment to end at all, but he knew that in the morning Reyna and the other Romans would head home. Meanwhile he would have to stay here. Not only did Will want to observe his injury, but the pups were too small to travel. Something in his head told him this was the only chance he would get to show Reyna how he felt.

"You won't be coming with us tomorrow will you?" Reyna asked. Arthur smirked at her comment. When he was in New Rome teaching her to fight, they had quickly bonded and could tell what the other was thinking. It was nice to see she had not gotten rusty.

Arthur brushed his hair out of his face, "I'm sorry my praetor. With this new duty from Artemis, I have to make sure these pups are raised right. Luckily they are blessed by mom so they will grow quickly and have partial immortality like the Hunters. It should only take me two months to train them. They can develop more on their own after that."

Reyna rolled over to look at Arthur, "Will you come back to Camp Jupiter after that?"

Arthur returned her gaze, "Honestly Reyna, I'm not sure. I've heard what the Romans say about me. They think I'm using you for power. I know the archers want me back and you want me there, but most of the other Romans consider me a traitor and hope I never return. What kind of life would I live in New Rome?"

Reyna looked furious, "Who is saying these things?"

"Many of them, and I don't blame them. I disappeared for two years and they found me again at a Greek camp. Greeks who we used to consider the enemy. Add onto that the fact that I'm a legacy of Mithras, it can only end badly," Arthur explained.

Reyna propped herself up in her arm, "Arthur listen to me. You are a hero of Rome. If they can't see that yet, give them time. You belong with us, believe me. You were unable to stay after that battle years ago. Almost everyone was worried about the hero who led the defense of our city, even the First and Second Cohorts."

Arthur sighed, "I'll think about it Reyna. I originally planned to stay with the Hunt or at the Refuge after this. I will weigh my options and let you know my choice."

Reyna's face suddenly was hovering over his, "Maybe this will be an incentive for you to come back."

Reyna crashed her lips onto Arthur's. Arthur's eyes were wide with shock for a moment. Once he realized what was happening, his eyes closed and he placed his hand on Reyna's waist, pulling her further into him.

Reyna could not believe how daring she was being right now. She had to find a way to keep Arthur in her life though. When she realized he had taken that spear for him, the old feelings she ignored years ago came back ten-fold. She was taking a risk since she did not know if Arthur liked her back, so when he started to kiss back her heart leapt out of her chest and soared to the heavens. She drank in his outdoor scent, something she knew she would never grow sick of.

The two continued kissing for several minutes. Each one treating the other as if their kisses provided life itself. If anyone saw them they would get quite a view. The praetor of Rome standing the adopted son of Artemis and making out, while three pups watched in confusion. Neither one of them cared though. For Arthur and Reyna all that existed were the two of them and the stars in the night sky. They did not even notice when the moon suddenly shone a little brighter.

 **Thanks everyone for reading. The next chapter is in the works. Let me know what you thought.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed last chapter. Here is the next installment of The Venator.**

Two months since the Romans had returned to Camp Jupiter. Two months since Reyna had kissed him on the roof of his mother's cabin. Arthur could not erase the memory of that moment, not that he wanted to. If possible he would relive that moment over and over again. He wondered if the kiss was just a spur of the moment thing, or if Reyna really liked him. Arthur had a difficult time believing Reyna would use somebody like that though.

During those two months, Arthur focused on training the wolves for his mom, it was the only way to not run off to Camp Jupiter and Reyna. They were reaching maturity quickly and would soon be ready to go on hunts by themselves, as well as support the Hunters. He hoped the wolves' progress would impress the Hunt. Thalia had sent and Iris message saying that the Hunt would be at camp today.

"Sapphire, you have to watch the flank!" Arthur yelled as the wolves 'hunted' some prey. He had tried to find volunteers to help with the training, and to his surprise two of the older demigods volunteered to act as prey. Arthur had assumed that his request would be filled with younger campers who did not know any better. Arthur had gotten to know the two heroes pretty well over the last two months.

Percy Jackson was one of the volunteers. Arthur remembered Reyna telling him about Percy and how he was the honorary Greek praetor. That made sense to Arthur since most of the Greek camp seemed to look to Percy as some sort of leader or authority figure. When they shared experiences to get to know each other better, Arthur gained great respect for Percy. They were both seventeen, but Percy had done so much more. He fought in two wars, led two armies, and defeated several Titans and helped to stop Gaea. Arthur knew he could follow this man.

The other demigod who volunteered to help train the wolves was Annabeth Chase. Annabeth was smart, beautiful, and deadly. If he and Reyna did not currently have a confusing relationship status, Arthur would have definitely tried to spend as much time as he could trying to date Annabeth. Well, if she was not also currently all but engaged to Percy Jackson either. Arthur heard the stories of the two, from them and others around the camp, and knew that the camp wished to two of them a happy life together. They were each other's mate, something Arthur understood from working with wolves most of his life.

"Ease up on her," Annabeth called as she walked next to Arthur. The two females had failed to catch her, "They have definitely improved. Besides they are still technically pups."

Sapphire walked over next to her and shook her head at Arthur. Arthur had learned that he could communicate with these wolves. They understood his speech and he caught glimpses of their thoughts. He understood Sapphire was agreeing with Annabeth.

Arthur growled, "I really hate when you gang up on me with the pups," Arthur told Annabeth, "These wolves need to be ready for my mother. There will be time later for them to have fun and not work in perfect formation."

Sapphire whined and Maggie joined her. They wanted to make Arthur proud, and when he was frustrated they felt bad. Arthur sighed as he walked over and patted the two wolves on their head.

"You girls are doing better. Artemis is sure to be proud with the progress you made," he told them.

If wolves could smile the two females would have grins from ear to ear. They tackled Arthur licking his face as much as they could. Annabeth laughed at their antics before helping Arthur up. She had agreed to help the son of Artemis because she wanted an easy year for herself and Percy. After going through literal hell and two wars, they deserved an easy task for once. Of course, Percy was having plenty of difficulties anyway.

"Aargh," Percy screamed as he was drug into the clearing where Arthur, Annabeth and the wolves stood. Alpha had Percy's leg in his mouth. It was not hurting Percy's leg, but Percy's head kept bumping the ground as he was drug.

"Having trouble Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth teased.

"Arthur! Call off your dog, he wins, I give up!" Percy yelled as Alpha began to circle around the clearing, followed by Maggie and Sapphire. Apparently, the two other wolves wanted to join the fun.

Arthur chuckled, "Alpha, spit that out. You don't know where it's been. It could have diseases."

Alpha walked over to Annabeth and dropped Percy's leg. All three wolves began nudging Percy towards her. They knew who he belonged to. Annabeth who had been holding back laughter, fell on the ground after watching the situation. Arthur propped an arm against a tree to keep from falling as he laughed uncontrollably.

"Laugh it up Dog Breath. One of these days I'll beat your wolves," Percy said as he stood up.

"Percy, you say that every time. You might want to give up," Annabeth told him. She held her hands out for help up. Percy grabbed both her hands and pulled her into his chest. They wrapped their arms around each other and kissed.

"Hey! None of that," Arthur said, "These wolves are young and impressionable."

The couple pulled apart, and stared at him. Arthur was covering Sapphire and Maggie's eyes, while Alpha had a paw over his. Annabeth smiled at the scene.

"That coming from the man who had a full make out session in front of them. With a praetor of Rome no less," Percy said deviously.

Arthur's face turned red and he started to rub his arm. A habit he had picked up whenever he was nervous or embarrassed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Arthur stuttered as he tried to play their accusations off.

Annabeth smirked, "C'mon Arthur. We saw the two of you the night before the Romans left. How long has that been going on?"

Arthur's jaw dropped, "What do you mean you saw us?"

Percy smirks, "Well we weren't sure what we saw, only that there were two of you and the pups."

Arthur fame palmed. He could not believe he fell for that trick. He was certain Annabeth had set that up. Now they knew for certain that he had kissed Reyna.

"Don't sweat it bro," Percy continued, "We are the only ones who saw, and that was just because we both had…"

Percy was cut off by Annabeth's hand across his mouth, "Percy! We said we would not talk about it."

It was Arthur's turn to smirk, "Don't worry, I know all about you two sharing Percy's cabin since it helps with the night terrors."

Annabeth's eyes widened at Arthur, who was rubbing Maggie's head. He had regained his usual composed features now that the tables had turned from focus on him to them. He also managed to avoid Annabeth's second question. Annabeth noticed his silver eyes shine with concern for her and Percy as he waited for their response.

"My mom is Artemis. I don't sleep much at night, especially when the moon is full. Plus, her blood gave me heightened senses. I've heard the screams from the nightmares you both have," Arthur explained.

Annabeth stared at the ground slightly ashamed. She did not want to disturb anyone, that was part of why she moved in with Percy. That and the nightmares potency was lessened by Percy's prescience. Percy moved her hand off his mouth do he could speak.

"Well looks like we know secrets about each other. Since we are even, lets agree to keep it between the three of us. Sorry if we disturbed you Arthur."

Everyone nodded in agreement to Percy's idea of keeping it between them. Arthur turned to walk out of the forest, it was almost dinner time. He motioned for Annabeth and Percy to follow, "Don't apologize. From what you have said and the stories I've heard, you went through something more traumatic than any other demigod has ever experienced. Honestly, I think I might be able to help you overcome the fear."

Annabeth could not believe her ears. Did Arthur know of some way to prevent nightmares that the Hypnos cabin had not tried? Annabeth wracked her brain trying to figure out what they had not tried yet.

"That would be great!" Percy exclaimed. He was sick of waking up in a cold sweat to feel Annabeth sitting up and rubbing his back to calm him down. They were looking after each other, but it was tough when they both had a nightmare at the same time. Percy wanted to protect his Wise Girl from everything, including the nightmares that were harming them. If he could overcome them, then he could focus on caring for Annabeth.

"Meet me tonight in front of the Artemis cabin. I know a way to avoid the harpies, so we can make it to the woods undisturbed. There I will teach you a trick I learned at a young age," Arthur told them.

Percy and Annabeth nodded as the six of them emerged from the forest. The wolves were well trained as they stayed by Arthur's side, instead of charging towards the dining pavilion where they could smell food. Percy and Annabeth made their way to the Poseidon table, while Arthur and the wolves hung back.

Arthur was glad that Percy and Annabeth lived in New York. They came to the camp every weekend and break they had from school to help out. They would teach younger campers and help him with the wolves mostly. Arthur knew they wanted an easy year without quests, and so far they had achieved that. Unfortunately, Arthur remembered the prophecy Apollo gave him. He prayed to all the gods that Percy and Annabeth would be left out of it.

Shaking his head, he slowly made his way into the pavilion. As he walked to the Artemis table he heard the whispers and rumblings from the other campers. It was clear to Arthur what they considered him, he just wished they would stop talking about it. The only time he got a reprieve from the whispers was when he was with any of the heroes of Olympus.

Arthur offered part of his plate of food to Artemis, hoping it would help her with the restoration of the Hunt. He then made his way back to his table, where the three wolves sat eagerly waiting for their meat. Arthur smiled at them, wishing he could go back to the refuge and live alone with these wolves. The only problem with that idea was Reyna would still be in New Rome. Once he set the wolves plates down, the meat was gone in seconds.

Alpha locked eyes with Arthur, silently asking to be allowed to go back to the woods. Arthur nodded and began to eat his meal. It was lonely at his table. Percy had offered for Arthur to join him numerous times, but Arthur hated feeling like a third wheel with Percy and Annabeth. It was even that way at the Hades table with Will and Nico.

Will had befriended Arthur while he healed from the battle with Gaea. Shortly after the Romans left, Arthur got to meet Nico, Will's close friend. Arthur was not sure what was truly between those two, besides Will trying to completely heal Nico of some shadow thing, and the two of them being friends, but he felt awkward when he sat with them too. If he was honest with himself, he wanted to be with his sisters, hunting game and pranking each other.

"Hey big brother," a small feminine voice called out.

Arthur stiffened as he recognized the voice. There is no possible way that they would be here right now, as he thought about them. He turned only to be knocked off his seat by a flying silver blur. When he looked at what had tackled him he could not help but laugh.

"Sarah! It's good to see you again," Arthur said excitedly.

"We came to keep,you in line Mutt Butt," Sarah said.

Arthur stared at her in confusion. Sarah never called him names, at least not names that were supposed to be a little hurtful. That was something only Thalia did.

Sarah whispered, "Thalia told me to do that. I'm sorry if it made you mad."

Arthur sighed, of course Thalia was trying to corrupt the younger Hunters. He would have to get her back for that though. Arthur grinned deviously, "Let me tell you a secret about Thalia."

Thalia and Artemis walked into the camp, sending on the rest of the Hunt. After Orion attacked the Hunt, there were only seven huntresses left, with Thalia being the oldest. Artemis had to focus on recruiting more girls to reform the Hunt to its former strength. They were going to recruit while they were at camp. Artemis had decided to come pick up Arthur too, they needed him to help defend against the monster attacks. Not to mention all the girls missed Arthur. Most of the current Hunters had visited the Refuge and had learned to love Arthur as their older and extremely protective brother.

"You think he will stay with us this time, my Lady?" Thalia asked Artemis.

Artemis shrugged, "I'm not sure. He may not even be here. That praetor gave him a good reason to go back to Camp Jupiter."

Thalia grinned, "I'm so glad you told us about that. I can't wait to tease him."

Artemis grinned, "Not too much Lieutenant. There's no telling what he has found out about your past."

The two saw Arthur and Sarah walking towards them. Artemis beamed at the sight of her son. She was glad he had trimmed his beard down so it did not look like an overgrown shrub was sitting on his face anymore. He kept his hair long and pulled back into a low ponytail. Artemis was not sure how she felt about that. It made him look the a male copy of her, that was a little weird in her opinion.

"Hey Lieutenant Pine Cone," Sarah said happily.

Artemis and Arthur burst out laughing. Thalia turned red and electricity crackled over her body. She knew who told Sarah to say that. She turned to glare at Arthur.

"You have three seconds momma's boy," Thalia threatened.

"I don't think so Leaf Ears," Arthur said. He whistled loudly, and everything was quiet for a minute.

"You're gonna pay for that comment. My ears aren't that big. And what is with the whistle, Mrs. O'Leary only comes for Percy and Dead Head," Thalia taunted. She charged Arthur with her spear, hoping to catch him off guard. Suddenly, three masses of fur jumped from the woods and pinned Thalia to the ground. One ripped her spear away, while the other pinned her shield arm down. The wolves held Thalia down as a way to defend their master, Arthur.

"I see you have trained the wolves well son," Artemis said.

Arthur whistled for them to sit next to him. He patted their heads saying, "They need real world experience, but I think they could be ready. My guess is that they will start mating in a few months to help grow the pack."

Artemis nodded, "That is fantastic news. I have to ask though are they learning their mating skills from watching you and that praetor?"

Arthur blushed, realizing that his mother probably saw him and Reyna that night. Thalia was smirking in his direction from the ground where she was still laying. Arthur was suddenly aware of the vow each of his sisters had taken. He wondered if he would even be allowed to keep his relationship with Reyna, if that's even what it was.

"Thalia, take the Hunt, get some dinner and get them set up in the cabin. I will tell your brother what our plan is. Make sure to start spreading the word to the demigods that we are recruiting. I hope to join you before the campfire," Artemis told Thalia.

"Yes, my Lady," Thalia bowed. She stuck her tongue out at Arthur, who replied in kind, before walking off to gather the Hunt.

"What is going on my Lady?" Arthur asked as Artemis turned to him.

Artemis glared at him, "I hate when you do that."

Arthur grinned, "Sorry mom."

Artemis rolled her eyes, "I'm glad you have gotten the wolves trained. You and them will be going with us when we leave camp tomorrow."

Arthur almost tripped over his own two feet in surprise to what she was offering. Luckily, he had his mother's grace in him. When the Romans had left, this is exactly what he had wanted. Re-joining the Hunt and spending more time with his sisters. The problem was, he did not really wish to leave the camps. Now that Percy and Annabeth had become friends to him, Arthur enjoyed his time at Camp Half-Blood a little bit more. He also had promised Reyna he would be back at Camp Jupiter one day soon.

Artemis seemed to know what he was thinking, "You don't want to go do you?"

Arthur swallowed the lump that started to form in his throat, "It's not that mom. I made some friends here, and there's this thing with Reyna."

Artemis asked him about his new friends. He explained how things were growing between him, Annabeth, and Percy. Artemis was glad to hear that her son was friends with the only other decent male she had met. Arthur explained how Clarisse was the first person to stand up for him at the camp, and how she took care of him. He would spend more time with her, but she has to lead her cabin through their activities. She does make time to spar with him every so often though. Artemis was shocked that Arthur had become friends with Will Solace, one of her nephews. Arthur had been trying to help Will with his archery, while Will helped Arthur heal from his wounds.

Artemis was glad to hear her son was enjoying his time at camp. She hoped that her father would agree to spare him at the solstice. Athena had not told Artemis about any of the information she had found yet. That was why Artemis had Arthur raise the wolves. If he was an important part of her Hunt, then Zeus could not simply destroy him. Right?

"Arthur," Artemis stopped her son in the middle of his speech, "You can always come back. Right now we need you to help protect your sisters from monsters while we travel. We are going to recruit demigods from this camp and the Roman camp if possible. After that, we should have enough strength to carry on without you."

The light in Arthur's eyes burned brighter at the mention of Camp Jupiter. Artemis was not sure how she felt about her son falling in love. That meant one less maiden in the world, but if she denied him the chance, her son would lose some of his happiness.

"Okay, mom. I'll go with you. It will help with the pups' training as well." Arthur said.

Artemis smiled and hugged her son, "It warms my heart that you will be with us."

Arthur groaned, "Alright mom, I'm an adult now. No need to smother me."

Artemis laughed, "It's a mother's right. Now make sure you are packed, we leave first thing in the morning."

"I do have one request," Arthur told her, "I would like Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase to come with us. They are fighting against some inner demons and I think I can help them."

Artemis frowned, "I do not want any male traveling with the Hunt!"

Arthur hung his head, "What does that make me?"

Artemis realized what she had said. She spent so much time hating males that it was an instant reaction for her. She groaned and looked at her son.

"I'm sorry, Arthur. I have not found males who are decent in a long, long time. I consider you as a member of this Hunt no matter what. Never forget that. I did forget that Percy is one of the only males, that is not you, which I can tolerate," she paused for a breath, "They can travel with us to New Rome. However, the only reason I will allow this is because you are seeking to help them overcome Tartarus' influence."

Arthur nodded. Of course his mom would know what he was helping them with. He hoped he could even provide some help to his newest friends. Maybe they could help him with his situation with Reyna in return.

"Now run along, I must speak with Chiron about this," Artemis said to her son. She kissed his head before walking to the Big House.

Arthur whistled for the wolves to follow him as he made his way to the Arena. The campfire would be soon, and he wanted to make sure he and the wolves got their usual seats. They always sat towards the back, in case too many glares came their way. They would be able to duck out easily. Percy and Annabeth sometimes joined him, but usually they had to be up front to announce camp business or something.

Arthur laid back on the bench with Maggie's head on his stomach. Alpha and Sapphire were play fighting off to the side. When campers started filing in Arthur stayed put. He liked looking up at the stars. It probably had to do with being the son of the goddess of the Moon. Usually, campers just ignored him or spoke about him in whispers that would, without fail, reach his ears. This time however, his quiet reverie was interrupted by a hard smack on the head.

"What are you doing up here alone?" Thalia asked.

Arthur sighed, "Keeping the wolves out of trouble and staying away from where I'm not wanted."

Thalia noticed the wolf laying its head on him, "Are these the Hunt's new wolves?"

Arthur nodded, "Yup, meet Maggie. Alpha and Sapphire are over there playing."

Thalia cooed over the wolf as Maggie let Thalia pet her. Arthur was impressed that Maggie was not trying to bite. The wolves did not take well to outsiders, especially ones that tried to hurt their master. Arthur guessed it was because Thalia was bonded to Artemis and Artemis was his mother, so she probably smelt familiar to the wolf. Earlier, the wolves attacked on command, now they could choose for themselves.

"What did you mean by you aren't wanted?" Thalia had a concerned look on her face as she asked this question.

Arthur tried to wave it off, "It's nothing. We're leaving tomorrow anyways."

"No, Arthur. I'm your sister, you can tell me what is wrong. Are they treating you poorly here? I'll kill that Kelp Headed moron if that's the truth."

Arthur forgot how fired up Thalia could get. He should have kept his mouth shut, but spending time with Annabeth and Percy made him speak up more often. He sighed as he sat up. Maggie growled at the movement, until Thalia place the wolf's head on her lap. Then Maggie made a noise that sounded close to the purring of a cat.

"I don't belong here Thals. I'm the son of a purely virgin goddess, and I am the legacy of a forgotten Roman god. These demigods can tell that I don't belong, just like a wolf can smell when something is wrong. They just embrace what comes naturally."

Thalia glared at the few campers who made the mistake of turning around. Arthur recognized them as young Hermes campers. They had asked if they could pet the wolves the other day. They had been very polite and respectful towards Arthur, so he let them have the privilege. He felt bad that they had to receive Thalia's death glare at that moment though.

"Well I don't care what these idiots think. You're sitting with me down on the front. We are going to sing embarrassing camp songs and try to find a way to make fun of Percy. Got that?"

Arthur laughed at Thalia's threat. It reminded him that he did have a place in this world, even if everyone else shut him out.

"Sure thing Thals," Arthur said. He removed the silver jacket he had been wearing all day, revealing his tattoos in the fire light.

"And then, son, you will explain why your body is covered in tattoos."

Arthur and Thalia jumped. They had no idea when Artemis had joined them. Thalia smirked when she realized she was not in trouble. Arthur, whose complexion is usually tan and rough from working outside all day, turned a shade of white that made him paler than Nico. He was not sure how to explain the fact that he was bored and wanted to get tattooed to his mother. Artemis then motioned for the two of them to head to their seats for the campfire.

Even though he was afraid of the death his mother was sure to deal him for the tattoos, Arthur had a good time at the campfire. He sang with Thalia and even found a way to trick Percy into belting out a chorus of a song by himself. The wolves joined in and howled with him, which only made everyone laugh harder. Arthur had never realized what he had been missing. Maybe one day the campers would accept who he was and he would not feel forced to stay off to the side.

 **I hope you liked it. I know the wolves are growing quickly, but that is due to the blessings of Artemis. Let me know what you think.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys, thank you for e reviews and concerns. I'm back and everybody is doing fine now. I'm sorry for the longer delay, work got a little busier than usual. As promised, this is a double update. I hope you enjoy.**

It was around midnight when Percy and Annabeth showed up outside the Artemis cabin. Arthur was petting Maggie while he waited for them. Arthur was glad to see his friends and hoped they would agree to his idea of them traveling with the Hunt. Arthur wondered what kind of shape the Refuge was in since he had not been there for months.

"Hey Arthur," Percy said quietly. He was trying to not wake up the Hunt. He did not want angry man-haters chasing him this late.

"Hey guys," Arthur said back, "Thanks for meeting with me. We are going a ways into the forest so I hope you are up for a hike."

Annabeth looked at him questioningly, "How do you expect to get past the harpies?"

Arthur smirked, in the moonlight Annabeth thought Arthur had a wolfish look to him. She knew he had heightened senses like a wolf thanks to Artemis, and he had somehow squired longer than normal canines. Add those features with the mischievous look in his eye currently, Annabeth could understand why Reyna called him Wolf Face.

"Watch this," Arthur leaned into Maggie's ear and whispered something to her. The wolf perked up and let out a low howl. Soon, Alpha and Sapphire had joined them. Arthur told the wolves what to do and they took off. Moments later the harpies were squawking in fear as three playful wolves chased them all over camp, and away from Arthur, Annabeth, and Percy.

"It's nice to see someone else being chased for once," Percy said.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Seaweed Brain."

Arthur chuckled, "Let's move you two. We have about three minutes before Chiron wakes up. The wolves are trained to avoid getting caught so they will disappear. We don't want to be out in the open when they run off."

Annabeth and Percy agreed and followed Arthur as he ran into the woods. They had a hard time keeping up with his pace. Arthur was used to running through the woods and could see obstacles before he was on top of them. It was not because of any ability, just lots of practice. He used to do parkour all over New Rome with a few friends which gave him more practice. Reyna would even participate every so often.

Reyna. Arthur could not keep his thoughts from her since his mother said the Hunt would be going to New Rome tomorrow. The Hunt needed more recruits, even with the five Greeks who joined this evening. Arthur remembered what Reyna said about wanting to help the Hunt. He wondered if that was because she had feelings for him, or because she genuinely wanted to help his mother out.

Arthur wondered what her reaction would be when they met up again. He had not Iris Messaged her in a few weeks, hopefully nothing bad had happened. Last time they talked, she had mentioned a new Senator coming to power. She was wary of him, but so far he was not causing trouble. Other than that, their conversation had been awkward comments about how they were doing or how good the other looked.

"Hey Dog Breath, hold up!"

Arthur turned when he heard Percy yell at him. Percy had of course picked up Thalia's nicknames. Annabeth and he were about one hundred yards behind Arthur. Arthur shook his head, he had been so lost in thought that he had been moving faster than them. He allowed the two to catch up.

"Sorry guys. I was thinking and kind of forgot you were following me," Arthur said sheepishly.

Percy laughed, "What could be so important that you forgot the reason you snuck out of the cabins?"

Arthur blushed as he remembered his thoughts of Reyna. He tried to turn before they saw, but Annabeth caught it.

"Don't worry Arthur. She cares about you and will be excited to see you tomorrow," she told him.

"Who?" Percy asked.

Arthur sighed, "If you don't know Coral Face, then don't worry about it."

Percy glared at the nickname, but Annabeth chuckled. Percy gave her a look of betrayal.

"Sorry, I haven't heard that one before," she said.

Percy hung his head. Annabeth kissed him, and Arthur saw him smile. Arthur knew he wasn't mad, Percy was just trying to come up with a good insult for him now.

"How much farther?" Annabeth asked.

"Just through these trees. There's a small pool that is formed by the river. It is the perfect place for us," Arthur told her.

When they walked through the trees, Percy and Annabeth could not believe their eyes. The pool was made by a small waterfall, not more than three feet high, that rolled of a short drop. A small garden grew with one type of flower dominating the area. When Percy saw it his eyes widened which confused Annabeth,

"How are there so many of those flowers?" Percy stammered out.

Arthur looked at him confused, "You know what those are?"

Percy nodded, "As far as I know there is only two places they grow. One is my mother's apartment, the other is…"

Percy was silent for a moment. He glanced at Annabeth and Arthur could smell his nervousness. As if he was afraid to share something with her. Annabeth crossed her arms and stared at him.

"Seaweed Brain, where are they from?"

Percy gulped, "Ogygia."

Annabeth's jaw firmed, as if that was the worst news she could have heard. After a moment her eyes softened and she hugged Percy.

"Percy, that's the past. You came back to us in the end, and now we are together."

Percy hugged her back, "I know Wise Girl. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable though."

Annabeth smiled, "Don't worry. If you make me mad I'll just hit you."

The two laughed and Arthur joined them. After a moment, Percy looked back at Arthur, "So where did you get them?"

Arthur was hesitant before he replied, "I just ran into someone who had some bulbs. They sold them to me."

Percy narrowed his eyes, "You're either lying or hiding something. Tell me."

Arthur rubbed his arm nervously. He promised to not tell anyone about those people he met. In return they gave him the moonlace bulbs. He could not betray their trust.

Annabeth put her hand on Percy's, "Percy, don't worry about it. We all have secrets and reasons for keeping them. He may tell us one day, but not today."

Percy took a deep breath and calmed down. He apologized for being hostile with Arthur, who waved him off in understanding. Arthur then gestured for them to have a seat on the grass near the water. Arthur sat next to Percy. He was not sure if his idea would truly help them purge their nightmares, but it couldn't hurt.

"Cross your legs as you sit and hold your hands like this," Arthur told them. They were sitting in the Full Lotus position, "Now close your eyes and slowly breathe in. Hold it for three, two, one. Now let it out slow. Repeat this to reach a state of calm."

"This is your solution to helping with our nightmares? Sitting and breathing next to a pond," Percy said, anger was slightly filling his voice.

"I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed Arthur. I thought you would know some sort of magical way how to help us. You do have those magic tomes after all," Annabeth sniffed.

"Guys, haven't you heard of meditation?" Arthur asked.

They both shook their heads. Arthur groaned, he had expected at least Annabeth to know about it.

"Meditation is used by eastern religions and philosophies. Sometimes to achieve enlightenment, other times to be used as healing. My mother taught it to me when I was a child. It helps me clear me mind and deal with my inner demons. It could help you with your nightmares."

Annabeth was shocked, Arthur knew something she didn't. Why would Artemis know these techniques, and why did she teach Arthur? The questions started filling her brain. Arthur saw the gears in her mind turning and placed his arm on her.

"Let me tell you part of my story that only a few know. Maybe that will help," Arthur told them.

The couple nodded and Arthur explained his true heritage. When he revealed he was a child of Mithras, Annabeth gasped. She knew of the curse Arthur was plagued with. She asked how bad it was, and Arthur explained how his meditation rituals and his close Roman friends had helped him overcome the curse, and now he controlled it instead of the other way around. Arthur demonstrated how he could control the curse. Percy broke the silence after a minute.

"It really works?"

Arthur nodded, "By calming yourselves and letting the negative energies leave your body through breathing, I believe it could help with your nightmares."

Annabeth scoffed, "It sounds like mystic mumbo jumbo to me."

Percy smirked, "Mumbo, perhaps. Jumbo, perhaps not."

Annabeth groaned, "Why did I agree to watch Futurama with you?"

"Because you love me, Wise Girl. Duh."

Arthur smiled at their antics, "Let's give this another try okay guys. I will guide you the first few session, after that it's up to you. If it doesn't start working after a few weeks, I will apologize for wasting your time."

Percy looked at him, "What if it works? What do you want in return?"

Arthur rubbed the back of his head, "I was actually hoping you guys would help me with something whether this worked or not."

Percy looked concerned, "What is it?"

Arthur felt his blush creep onto his face, "I'm not really sure what to do about Reyna. I mean, we kissed before she left, but what does that make us. I want to talk with her about it, but I'm so nervous."

Percy smiled, "That's an easy fix man. Of course we will help you."

Annabeth smacked him in the back of the head, "If I remember correctly, I had to all but tell you to make a move Seaweed Brain. I think I will be the one helping Arthur with this."

Percy pouted because he knew Annabeth was right.

"So is that a yes?" Arthur asked. His voice was full of anxiousness.

Annabeth nodded, then remembering what Lady Artemis had told the camp earlier, "We don't have a lot of time if you leave in the morning."

Arthur shook his head, "I forgot to mention. I asked mom if you could travel with the Hunt to New Rome, then travel with me after. That way I can continue to help you guys with your nightmares."

"But we have school!" Percy exclaimed.

Annabeth's jaw hit the ground, "I never thought you would say that Percy."

Percy shrugged, "It's important to you Wise Girl. I want to finish because you want to."

Arthur interrupted them, "It's your choice. I would be going to the Hunt's Refuge to,check on things for winter. I should only be there a week."

Annabeth was thoughtful for a minute. Then she looked at Percy, "You're ahead in your classes right?"

Percy snorted, "Only because of you Wise Girl. You're the best tutor ever."

Annabeth beamed at him, "Well I had you doing things a week ahead of your classes. So we should be able to go on a trip."

Percy gaped at her, not knowing how she tricked him to be a nerd like her. Arthur smiled that his friends were coming with him. His nerves were still there, but seemed to lessen a little. Talking to Reyna seemed easier since Annabeth and Percy were gonna help him.

"Alright," Arthur told them, "Let's try again with this meditation."

When they returned it was about an hour until dawn. Arthur told them that the Hunt would probably leave on the Sun Chariot to make time. It would be a couple hours for,the ride and they could sleep the whole way if they wanted. Annabeth told him that they had taken a nap earlier so they were not completely tired. Percy disagree of course. Arthur laughed, Percy could sleep through the apocalypse if you let him.

Annabeth and Percy left to pack and grab some more sleep before they left camp. Arthur walked over to the Artemis cabin to see his mother waiting on him. She was in her twenty year old form and was glaring at him.

"What's wrong mom?" Arthur asked.

Artemis glared harder and snapped her fingers. From the side of the cabin came Alpha, Sapphire, and Maggie. Arthur gulped.

"Care to explain why my wolves were seen chasing the patrol harpies last night, son?" Artemis' voice was hard as steel.

Arthur knew better than to lie to her, "I needed a distraction so Percy and Annabeth could meet me last night."

Artemis sighed, "I know you are raising them, but they are not your pets Arthur."

"I know mom," Arthur replied, "Last night was also more training in how not to get caught."

Artemis smirked at her son's response, "Sometimes you're a little too much like me."

Arthur grinned, "So you're not mad?"

Artemis shook her head, "Just making sure you were not doing anything disreputable."

Arthur's face fell. His mother and sisters had sworn off men. Why was he even thinking about dating Reyna. There's no way he would be allowed to do that. Maybe if he phrased it right when he asked his mom about it.

"What is bothering you son?" Artemis asked.

"Am I bound by the same vow you and the Hunters have taken?"

Artemis knew this was coming. She had seen the way Arthur looked when he was around Reyna. Not to mention that make-out session they had months ago. Artemis had told the Hunters as a way for them to torment Arthur, but she had not truly given much thought to the prospect of Arthur dating, and eventually marrying.

"You are referring to the praetor, correct?" Artemis asked.

Arthur blushed, "How'd you know about that?"

Artemis smiled and motioned for Arthur to sit next to her on the steps of her cabin. He a blogged and Sapphire walked over to lick his face. Arthur stroked her fur and looked at his mother.

"I can see everything that happens under the moon son, especially when it's on the roof of my cabin."

Arthur paled, "I'm sorry mom. It just kind of happened."

Artemis stopped him before he could ramble on, "Are you happy with her?"

Arthur shrugged, "I'm not sure. I don't know if that was a spur of the moment thing or if she really feels that way."

Artemis looked at her son worriedly. She did not want some Roman bimbo playing with his heartstrings. If that was the case, she would hunt down this girl as she had many men in the past.

"Have you talked to her about it?" She asked him. Artemis had never had a relationship before, but she had to listen to Aphrodite go on and on about an infinite number of them over the years. Artemis managed to pick up a few things.

"I've been too scared to say anything," Arthur started. He was cut off by Artemis standing and raising her voice.

"No son of mine is going to be too scared to talk to a girl. I spent many years with the help of your sisters raising you into the best example of what a young man should be. Any girl would be lucky to have you. I've even heard some girls from the Aphrodite cabin plotting to kidnap you and keep you to themselves. They especially like your tattoos it seems."

Arthur started to fidget uncomfortably as his mother ranted. He knew his sisters had to have heard what she was saying. Sure enough, Thalia showed up at the door with a smirk on her face.

"What's wrong milady?" she asked.

Artemis shared a grin with Thalia, "Oh nothing, just my son being too scared to speak to a girl that obviously likes him."

Thalia laughed while Arthur blushed, "Aww, is little Arthur scared. I knew those tattoos were just for show. You need to man up and talk to Reyna."

Arthur glared at them, "I'm glad you can make sport of me. Maybe I'll just stay here or wander the wilderness. I know how to hide from you mother. You would never find me."

Thalia and Artemis stopped laughing. Artemis glared at her son for threatening to leave her. Thalia smiled at him.

"Arthur, c'mon. Don't be like that. We were just having some fun," Thalia said.

Arthur grunted, "Yea well I probably can't even have a relationship with her anyway so get your fun out of the way now."

Artemis spoke up, "Son, I never said you could not have a relationship. What I was going to say earlier was if she makes you happy, then you should pursue a relationship with her."

Thalia agreed, "We took the vow for our own reasons Arthur. Most of the Hunters were betrayed or hurt by men. We didn't want to be hurt again so we joined up. If we fall in love and feel we can trust men again, Lady Artemis will let us free of the oath. She's not as mean as she used to be."

Artemis glared at Thalia, then continued, "You were adopted by me. You did not swear the oath. You are a part of the Hunt because my blood is in your veins. As long as you remember what we taught you when you were younger, I don't mind you dating someone. In fact, most of the girls worry about how you are always alone except for the wolves."

Arthur could not believe his ears. He never would have guessed that the maiden goddess would allow him to date a girl. Arthur figured it was because of her maternal instincts, and her want for her son to be happy. He felt a sudden boost of courage and could not wait to see and talk to Reyna again.

"Oh gods, he looks live a love sick puppy now," Thalia muttered.

"Shut up Thalia," Arthur retorted.

Thalia grinned evilly, "Oh, this is going to be fun."

Artemis chuckled at her son and lieutenant's interaction. She told them to get ready, and that she was going to summon Apollo. She had originally wanted to move across country, but with Percy and Annabeth joining the group it would be easier to use the Sun Chariot. Arthur ran inside and grabbed his duffel bag, he was always ready to leave, just in case something happened. He then gathered the wolves together and readied them for the trip.

Percy and Annabeth arrived and were greeted warmly by the Hunt and even Lady Artemis. Both demigods had earned respect from the group after the last war. Annabeth for the part she played, and Percy for diving into Hell itself to save a girl. The girls were making fun of Percy's archery abilities when the roar of an engine all were familiar with appeared.

"Hey sis, need a lift," Apollo said.

Artemis rolled her eyes, "You know the rules Apollo. No flirting with my huntresses, and no corrupting my son."

Apollo sighed, "But the new girls haven't had a chance to meet me yet."

Apollo waved at the new Greek recruits. They waved back, a couple of them muttering about the Sun god being 'hot.' Apollo ate it up of course.

"Hello ladies. Look at the boys of the camp, now back to me, now back to them, now back to me. The fact is, even though some are my children, they aren't me. Look down, now back up it's me again with a gift, and it's that thing you loveeeeahhhhhh!"

Artemis shot Apollo in the shoulder to make him stop, "Ever since that stupid television commercial came out, he quotes it nonstop."

Arthur laughed at his uncle. Arthur did not agree with everything his uncle did, but he was fun to be around.

"Let's go Uncle Apollo. We gotta get to New Rome so we can recruit more Hunters," Arthur said.

Thalia nudged Annabeth, "He means so that he can see his girlfriend."

The Hunt, Percy, and Annabeth all laughed as Arthur turned red. Apollo, however, beamed at his nephew.

"Attaboy, I knew you had it in you to woo the ladies," Apollo praised Arthur, "Everybody get on, it's gonna be a long ride to the coast. Especially since I have to talk with my nephew here."

Artemis grumbled about Apollo's corrupting influence while the Hunt got on the Sun Chariot, which now looked like a bus. Percy and Annabeth also got on, sitting a small distance from the Hunt. Just because they were okay with Percy, didn't mean they wanted him sitting close for a long trip. Arthur got the wolves on with little hassle, then said goodbye to his mother.

"I will meet you at Camp Jupiter," she told him, "Then you can introduce me to Reyna."

"Reyna!" Apollo exclaimed, "You're dating the cute praetor? Man I had my sights on her for the future."

Artemis smacked her brother, "You will do no such thing!"

"Don't worry sis, I wouldn't move on my nephew's girl," he winked at Arthur, "By the way, you're driving."

Arthur caught the keys that were tossed to him. He why Apollo wanted him to drive. Apollo was going to spend the whole trip telling him about women and how to win them over. Arthur banged his head on the steering wheel after he climbed in. This was gonna be a very long trip.

 **Let me know what you think. I thought the Old Spice Guy's lines would be a good way for Apollo to pick up ladies. I hope you enjoyed it, next chapter is up as well.**


	16. Chapter 16

Percy was nervous when he saw Arthur get behind the wheel of the Sun Chariot. Why did Apollo always let demigods drive. Did he not remember what happened with Thalia?

What surprised him though, was the smooth take off and flight they had. He looked back at Thalia who was staring straight into the back of the seat in front of her. She must still be afraid of heights, Percy thought. He smiled, deciding to have some fun.

"Hey Thals, looks like Arthur's a better driver than you will ever be."

Thalia groaned and muttered, "Kelp Head, when we land, you better get far away from me."

Percy chuckled, about to retort. However, Annabeth stopped him by pulling him close so she could lean into him for a nap. Percy smiled at Annabeth and placed his arm around her, making her more comfortable. The two drifted off to sleep in no time.

"Thalia," Arthur called back, "Just go to sleep. We will be there in a while. If you are asleep then you can't see how high we are."

Thalia grumbled something, but took his advice. In fact, everyone fell asleep as they traveled across country. Everyone except Arthur and Apollo that is. Apollo was talking to Arthur about how to talk to Reyna later that day. Apollo laughed when Arthur said how nervous he was.

"Just be yourself. She likes you for you. That's the best advice anyone can ever give," Apollo told him.

Arthur shrugged, "But I'm just a guy who lives with wolves and travels with a group of feminist Hunters. What could I possibly offer her?"

Apollo chuckled at his comment about the Hunt, "Don't let your mom hear you talk about the Hunt that way."

"That's what you took from that?" Arthur questioned his uncle's logic.

Apollo shook his head, "You downplay yourself. You're the Venator. You are in charge of the archers of each Cohort. They are your own personal Cohort, so to speak. You report directly to the praetors and only take orders from them. To gain such a position means there is great respect for you amongst the Romans."

Arthur sighed, he had heard all of that from Angela before the Romans left. He did not think he deserved it, but Reyna gave him the title and position anyway. Some of the centurions were outraged, mainly the ones from the First and Second Cohorts. Arthur knew it would cause problems for him, he just hoped it was not now.

"Trust me nephew, you are quite the catch, and Reyna is a lucky girl," Apollo told him.

I'm the lucky one, Arthur thought. Apollo rambled on about girls and his experience with them, but Arthur had tuned him out. He was remembering the time he had known Reyna. From when she first showed up at Camp Jupiter, to the kiss they shared months ago. He could not believe that his first real friend that was not a superior was potentially going to be his girlfriend. He had always felt something strange towards Reyna, now he had an idea of what it was.

"We will be arriving in about fifteen minutes lover boy. Think you can land this okay?" Apollo asked.

Arthur rolled his eyes, "I landed it fine the last fifteen times you had me drive it because you were 'over-partied.'"

Apollo smirked, "Yea let's keep that between us still okay?"

It was Arthur's turn to grin evilly, "It will cost you."

"Fine," Apollo groaned, "What do you need?"

Arthur thought for a moment, "The Refuge needs to be expanded."

"I'm not Hephaestus you know," Apollo complained.

"Yea, but you owe me so I expect to see the Refuge expanded by the time the Hunt arrives in a couple of days," Arthur told him.

Apollo agreed, then went to wake up the passengers. Annabeth woke with no problem and proceeded in the arduous task of waking Percy. Arthur caught her eye in the mirror and gave her a questioning look. She smiled at him and nodded. Arthur smiled did not have nightmares this time.

"Hello again ladies," Apollo said as he moved further down the bus. He was quickly cut off by several arrows piercing him all over. Arthur looked back in his mirror and saw Apollo looked like a human pincushion. Arthur laughed.

"Good work girls, mom would be proud," Arthur shouted back to them.

The girls cheered and Apollo looked betrayed. Arthur shrugged as Apollo sat next to him, "Sorry, uncle. Those are my little sisters and they need to protect themselves."

Apollo grunted and stared out the window. Arthur fought back the laugh that was forcing its way out. He began to slow the Sun Chariot down, thus decreasing the heat, and brought it in for a landing in the arena of New Rome. Arthur figured that would be the safest place to put it since it was early morning and the Cohorts had not had their morning assembly yet.

Once the Sun Chariot was on the ground, all of the demigods filed off and watched as Apollo changed the bus into a sports car. Arthur shook his head, whenever he rode the chariot for Apollo, he had it turn into a motorcycle. Apollo was shocked the first time Arthur did that. Apparently, demigods were unable to influence things like that. It made Arthur curious as to what was wrong with him.

"Hunters, get in formation, the Romans will be here soon," Artemis called. She stepped out of the shadows and showed the girls where to stand. Most had not been to Camp Jupiter yet.

Arthur gathered the wolves in front of him. They sat back on their hind legs and kept their eyes forward. Percy and Annabeth stood with him, waiting for the Romans to arrive. Percy would have to stand with the other praetors when they arrived. Luckily, he wore his purple Camp Jupiter shirt today.

Apollo left and as he did the Frank Zhang walked into the arena. He saw Lady Artemis and the Hunt, and stopped. Percy saw Frank freaking out a little bit and walked over to him. Frank seemed to calm down when Percy explained things to him. Frank walked over and bowed.

"It is an honor Lady Diana," Frank told her.

"Thank you praetor, I assume praetor Percy filled you in on why I am here?"

Frank nodded, "I will mention it to praetor Reyna, and we shall announce it to the Legion. I'm not sure if many will join your Hunt though. Romans tend to stay loyal to their own."

Diana nodded, "I understand. We want to offer it to anyone who wishes to join though."

Frank nodded, "It's good to see our Venator has returned. The archers are looking for more training."

Arthur frowned, "Unfortunately my praetor, I am escorting my fellow Hunters right now. I will speak with you, praetor Percy, and Praetor Reyna later this day and explain when I will be able to return."

Frank sighed, "Reyna won't like this, but okay. We will hear your case later."

Arthur walked over to the rest of the Hunt to talk to some of the girls as Frank made his way back to the praetors' spot. Percy followed him to take his honorary spot next to him. Arthur smiled at how easily Percy fit into the role of praetor. As he talked to the girls about care for the wolves, the rest of the Legion filed in. They did not notice Arthur since he wore his silver Hunting jacket. The Fall had brought a chill in the air and he was glad to have it.

Reyna address the Legion and the Hunters after Frank explained their presence. Reyna had hoped to see Arthur, but he did not seem to be among the small pond of silver. It had been a long time since she talked to him. She needed him to come back soon, the Lieutenant he had appointed was doing a decent job so far, but they needed their leader.

"Venator, report to your position and leave the dogs alone," Percy yelled.

Reyna was glad to see Percy, he could help with the new senator that was appointed. His name was Silas and he wanted to change up how the Legion was currently operating. Primarily, he did not like how close the Greeks were. He did not see the benefit in having a Greek praetor, and he hated the fact that the Venator was raised Greek. It was clear that Silas supported Octavian's original plans.

Reyna glared at Percy, "Praetor Percy, you should know that the Venator is not here. He is currently on assignment for Lady Diana."

Everyone gasped when a man wearing a silver hunting jacket strode forward. He whistled and the three wolves walked towards him and fell in line behind him. Arthur's place was behind the praetors awaiting orders. He stood there with his arms behind his back watching the Legion.

Reyna could not believe her eyes. It was really him. She had been hoping for his return, but now she could not help but be angry with him. Why did he not tell her he was coming? Did he not feel the same as her? She felt embarrassment start to creep up her face.

Just then the wind shifted and the rain that was not supposed to come until later that day, came in hard. Everyone put the hoods of the jackets they had worn up. Reyna had left her jacket because she was in a hurry, and was now regretting it. All the rain did was add fuel to her anger towards Arthur. Percy was talking about the status of the Greeks, so it would be rude for her to just walk out during his talk, even if it was to grab rain gear.

"My praetor," a voice said from behind her. It was barely a whisper so as not to interrupt Percy's speech.

Reyna turned her head to see Arthur holding his coat out for her. She hesitated for a moment, not sure if she wanted to accept it. Arthur took advantage of her hesitation and easily slipped the jacket on her shoulders. Reyna silently thanked him and motioned him back to his position.

The gesture did not go unnoticed. Everyone in the Legion began murmuring and even Percy looked at her with a suspicious glint in his eye. Reyna needed to hurry up and dismiss the Legion. The rain would cause them to have a down day, so the members could enjoy their free time. It also meant she could interrogate the Venator.

"Legion! Any girls interested in joining the Hunt of Diana, should seek them out. I promised the son of Diana we would help as best we can, that means if anyone wishes to join they will not be seen as deserters of the Legion. Everyone else, enjoy your day off since the gods deemed it necessary to give you one."

All the legionaries saluted and made their way out of the arena. Reyna turned to face Arthur and pulled the hood of his jacket up. She motioned for him to follow and made her way back to the praetors office.

Arthur followed her, becoming more and more soaked as he walked. He did not mind, he lived in the wild for the most part. Frank told Reyna he would join them later to discuss things as he headed in the direction of a certain daughter of Pluto. Arthur took in the sight of the city. It had been far too long since he had been here. They walked by the forge, and Arthur peered in, hoping to see Angela hard at work. He was disappointed to see she was not there.

"Does Angela still work the forge praetor?" Arthur asked Reyna.

Reyna looked back at him and glared harder, "She owns it now. She retired her post and runs it full time. She is not always making things since she has employees."

Arthur had smelt hostility rolling off of Reyna since he was called to his post. He did not understand why she was so upset with him. It could not be because he had not returned before now. She knew he had to raise the wolves. Arthur wracked his brain as they walked. Before he knew it, they had arrived at the praetors office.

The wolves shook themselves dry and then followed Reyna in. Arthur followed them, after shaking himself dry as well, and was met by something hard hitting his head. He glanced up to see two mechanical dogs growling at him and Reyna getting ready to throw another drachma at him.

"What was that for?" Arthur said in a harsh tone.

"Why have you not reported to your post since we left the Greeks?" Reyna demanded.

Arthur rubbed his head where the drachma hit, "I'm sorry praetor. You know I was busy with the task provided by my mother."

Reyna's glare intensified, "I guess you are only here because she needed you to be?"

Arthur sighed, "Reyna…"

He was cut off by Reyna, "You will address me by my title Venator."

Arthur realized just how angry Reyna was now. In public she wanted him to use her title, but in private he always used her name. He had royally screwed up it seemed. There goes his chance at a relationship with her. Something inside him deflated instantly.

"I apologize my praetor. I have one more week to raise the wolf pups before they are ready for their duty. After that, I shall return to New Rome to train the archers," Arthur said stoically.

"I will hold you to that Venator," Reyna said as the anger was slowly receded from her voice, "Now attend to your duties."

Arthur turned to leave, whistling softly for the wolves to follow him. They had started playing with Reyna's dogs and were sad to leave. Arthur let the wolves out in front of him and turned to see Reyna trying to look busy with papers on her desk. Arthur's keen eyes saw tears forming in Reyna's, she even had the scent of disappointment on her.

"For whatever I have done my praetor, I am truly sorry," Arthur said. He shut the door and walked off to find his sisters and help with recruitment. He figured he would check on the archers as well.

Once the door closed Reyna felt the tears she was fighting start to roll down her face. She had done what Angeles told her not to do, and let her anger get the better of her. She had been upset that Arthur had not called her to talk about their kiss, or relationship after she had left. She began to wonder if had to swear a vow similar to his mother, and it made her angrier that he did not tell her. Now to top it all off, he showed up out of the blue without a heads up of any kind. Her anger blew its top.

She wrapped his jacket closer around her. It had the smell of the outdoors on it, his scent. Why could she not put her pride and anger behind her, and make up with him? She had seen the disappointed look in his eyes when she snapped at him. Half of her brain told her she was the Queen of Rome and had done the right thing. The other half told her she was an idiot and to chase after the man she loved and apologize.

Shaking her head and wiping her tears, Reyna remembered what Aphrodite had told her years ago. No demigod would heal her heart. Arthur was a lot of things, but he was still a demigod, someone she could not fall in love with. Reyna returned to her work. A few hours later a knock sounded at her door.

"Enter," she called.

Two people walked into her office, "Reyna, do you ever take a break?"

Reyna looked up and saw the ever grinning face of Percy Jackson staring at her. Once, Reyna had considered making Percy her own, but he was too in love with the other person who had come in. Annabeth Chase, daughter of Minerva, and almost sworn nemesis of Reyna. Their mothers served similar roles in different pantheons. They were destined to become each other's worst enemy or best friend. Luckily, it ended up the latter.

Reyna smiled at the two, "What can I do for the Greek praetor and my best friend?"

Annabeth and Percy sat down in front of her desk, Percy started playing with her dogs. Annabeth fixed her with a stare.

"We wanted to talk to you about Arthur."

Reyna tensed. Of course Arthur would have bonded with them. Percy was a praetor after all, and the Venator takes orders from a praetor only. Arthur probably presented himself as a good Roman should, and Percy told him to forget formalities.

Reyna responded after a moment, "Has the Venator been trouble?"

Percy sighed, "Reyna, we know what happened with you two after the battle with Gaea. Drop the formalities."

Reyna blushed, something that she never did. She was about to refute what Percy said, but Annabeth's look made her think twice. So they knew that she and the Venator had kissed, great.

"What happened when he came up here with you? We saw him an hour ago and he did not look good," Annabeth said.

Reyna felt terrible, "What do you mean?"

Percy answered this time, "He was with the archers and his shooting was all over the place. Out of ten arrows he could not hit the bullseye once. Thalia had to step in to teach them and made up an excuse of him being in pain from a new tattoo or something."

Reyna could not believe it. Arthur always put Apollo campers to shame with his shooting. He should have been ten for ten in bullseyes and that would be with him blindfolded. She felt ashamed.

"It's my fault," Reyna told the couple, "I let my pride and anger get the best of me and berated him for failing on his job to train our archers. I was upset that the few times I had heard from him we never talked about us. It seemed like he was avoiding it for some reason."

Reyna felt the tears return. More than likely, Arthur hated her now, or at most only saw her as his superior. I'm one meeting she had lost the one person who meant most to her and her oldest friend.

Annabeth wrapped her arms around her, "It will be okay Rey. You can get through this. I'm sure the two of you can work this out and try again."

Reyna looked up at her, "You think so?"

Percy smiled, "Trust me. The guy can't stop thinking about you."

Annabeth threw a paperweight from Reyna's desk at him, yelling something about talking too much. Percy ducked and started running from his girlfriend as she attacked him for telling Arthur's secrets. Reyna laughed at the two of them, hoping that what Annabeth said was true.

When it was time for dinner Reyna met up with Lady Diana to find out how things went with recruitment. That was only a minor goal for her, she really wanted to talk to Arthur. She figured the best way to do that would be to find his mother. The recruitment had gone better than expected. Eight girls agreed to join the Hunt. When Reyna asked about Arthur, Diana glared at her.

"He mentioned something about finishing his work quickly, and headed for his next destination," Diana said tersely.

Reyna felt what little of her heart that had be put back together shatter at that moment. She had run him off. Piper had suggested that she make her own destiny with love, and now she ran off her only prospect. She was such a fool. Aphrodite was right, a demigod would never heal her heart.

 **Meanwhile, in Athena's palace.**

Athena had been scouring tomes to figure out the mystery that was Artemis' adoptive son. She truly hoped that the gods would not have to destroy him as a threat. It was clear that Artemis loved the boy as any mother would love their child. Athena could not watch her half-sister fall apart due to the death of her only child.

She was reading a book about the interaction of divine spirits with humans when she came across the answer. Apparently, some spirits would infuse their essence with a human if the human had proved themselves worthy. The book described them as being more than human afterwards. It used the term demi-human.

"This could be it," whispered Athena, "I must check this theory to be sure."

 **Once again that's for all the reviews guys. They are an encouragement to keep the story going. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The document I have where I write this story in its entirety has just reached 100 pages, so I'm really excited. Let me know what you thought, the next chapter will be up soon.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Well based on the reviews I got I'd say some of you were upset that Reyna treated Arthur like she did. I have to say it made me feel good to see that you guys loved the characters so much. Your reviews made writing this next chapter that much more enjoyable. To those who like the pairing don't worry, it's not over yet! However, that is enough from me. I hope you enjoy this next chapter of The Venator.**

Arthur's stay in New Rome had definitely gone worse than he had hoped. Reyna was upset with him, he had issues teaching archery, and many of the Romans treated him like trash. The only, potentially, good thing that happened was meeting a new Senator who appreciated his efforts. The senator's name was Silas and he had approached Arthur near the temple of Diana. Arthur had gone there for solitude so he could clear his head from what had happened with Reyna. Silas had called for him from outside the temple since Arthur was the only male who could enter.

"Ah, the young Venator. I have wanted to meet you for a long time," Silas said when Arthur emerged, "My name is Silas, and I have heard much about your help during the recent war. Especially how you saved the praetor."

Arthur simply stared at him. Unsure why any politician would want to speak with someone like him. The First and Second Cohorts had done well in spreading rumors about him. The one Arthur heard most was that he was not really human, but one of Diana's wolves that was turned human. That rumor had led to the use of the word abomination around him a lot. At least the archers treated him with respect.

"I can tell you are curious about why I'm speaking to you," Silas continued, "I want you to know I mean you no harm, but I do know the secret of your heritage, son of Mithras."

Arthur's eyes widened. There were only a select few who knew the truth, and they swore to never tell anyone. Silas held up a hand to calm him.

"I know what to look for is all, don't freak out. I actually think someone with your heritage will be good for New Rome. I heard you have mastered your curse; that is a great achievement. One that can make you our most devastating soldier."

Arthur finally broke his silence, "I don't know what you intend, but you should know who I serve. I serve and take orders from the praetors only, I'm not here for political agendas."

Silas shook his head, "You misunderstand me, my friend. I am simply letting you know that you have friends in high places. I've heard what the people whisper, and, believe me, they should be punished for saying such things. You are a hero of Rome and should be treated as such."

Arthur shrugged, "People will talk. They have done that to me all my life. I will always be an outcast."

"What about Rome's archers?" Silas asked.

Arthur grunted, "Fools, the lot of them. I can't stop them now though, they hold me in high regard and there is probably no changing that."

Alpha nudged Arthur's leg and whined. Arthur knew something was wrong because Alpha was never scared. He used a simple magic detection spell he had learned from the necronomicon. Dark energy was being used nearby. It was not an amount to worry about though so he patted Alpha's head to comfort him.

"Are those your wolves?" Silas asked.

"They are my mother's, I'm raising them," Arthur replied simply.

"A noble task indeed. Well, I must now take my leave. Venator, I do hope you remember that I am an admirer of your deeds and that is all. When you are in Rome, if you need to talk or need help, come find me. I do think I can help you."

Silas shook Arthur's hand and left. Arthur still felt uneasy about that man. His scent was so neutral, it was off putting. No one could control their emotions that well these days. However, he was currently the only person, above the rank of centurion, in Rome who seemed to trust him and not think of him poorly. Percy did not count, in his mind, since he is Greek.

It was shortly after that encounter when Arthur approached his mother and told her he was heading to the Refuge. He explained how the praetors were upset that he had not been doing his duties for Rome lately and he needed to hurry and return. Artemis was worried about the stoic attitude her son seemed to have now. He should have been happy, he had seen Reyna again. Unless something had happened.

Arthur did not stick around long after that. Now, he was running through Yellowstone National Park on his way to the refuge. He and the wolves had only stopped for short periods to eat quick and catch their breaths. Once again, Arthur was grateful that his mother gave him the ability to travel through the wilderness at an accelerated rate. The spellbooks he carried helped a lot too.

Arthur's magic ability had increased greatly since the last war. He had used it to speed up his healing processes and to help train the pups. Arthur had discovered the secret to his magic was to use it again and again, to allow his energy to build up more. Now he could use spells for extended periods and his magic traps did not drain him as bad.

Sapphire barked angrily at him as they passed by Half-Dome.

"What Sapphire?" Arthur asked.

She let out a series of barks and growls.

"No, I don't think I was too hasty back there. Reyna was quite clear that anything we had is gone and it's my fault. Why else would she yell at me like that?"

Maggie decided to jump in with something here.

Arthur sighed, "If that's how she shows she likes me and really missed me, then I don't think it will work out anyway."

Sapphire growled angrily.

"Look Sapphire, I know you bonded with her when you were young. I know she named you and you see her as a mother figure. You all do for some weird reason. So let me put this in a way you understand. Mommy hates daddy and there is most likely nothing daddy can do," Arthur yelled.

The wolves stayed quiet for the rest of the trip after that. Arthur had not meant to yell at them like that. He was just tired of them asking the same thing over and over again. The archers in Rome had laughed and teased him about how he could communicate with the wolves. Arthur had explained that he didn't speak their language, but he had raised them and been around them so much, that he understood what they meant.

Arthur cast another speed spell on the group so they would be at the Refuge in an hour. Arthur knew that Artemis would probably teleport her Hunt, as well as Percy and Annabeth this time. Before she had to take care of some business, that's why they rode with Apollo. Arthur had to get there fast so breakfast could be ready.

When they arrived, the wolves looked around them excitedly. The Refuge had plenty of woods for them to run in and lots of game to hunt. Arthur however, saw damage done to the compound from recent storms. Luckily, Apollo came through and the building was a little bigger so there would be plenty of room for the Hunt. Arthur told the wolves to stay close by, and let them run loose in the woods. He walked inside to see what Apollo had built.

There was a long hallway filled with doors on either side, that branched off the living room. Behind each door was a room with two bunks and all the furniture the hunters would have in their tents. The living room had also been expanded to accommodate more people. Arthur then walked into the kitchen and grinned. There was a meat freezer indoors to replace his outdoor one, as well as a large prep area, three ranges, and even a few microwaves.

The Refuge was more of a hunting lodge now than it was before. Arthur set to work to prepare breakfast for his guests that were coming. He found plenty of eggs in the refrigerators and some of his cured pork in the meat freezer. He made plenty of bacon and eggs for everyone. He set out cheese for anyone who would want it and discovered the large prep area also doubled as a warming station. Arthur walked through the door he thought would take him outside, only to find a large screened in dining area, complete with fire pit for warmth and offerings.

"Uncle you outdid yourself," Arthur muttered.

Arthur knew Apollo had heard him because the sun glowed brighter for a second. Smirking, Arthur decided to start fixing up the area around the building. Trees had fallen from strong winds. One even damaged his leather tanning station. Sighing, Arthur removed his sleeveless hoodie and began to work. He always did work like this shirtless, except in the dead of winter, because he got too hot easily when working. That and he was always alone here. So it was unexpected when he came out of the woods, after depositing a tree, that he heard Thalia.

"Yo, Arthur, put a shirt on. All your tattoos are scaring the new Hunters."

Arthur looked up to see that his first family was growing back to its original size. It was sad that so many had died, but Arthur was trying to move past that. He had a whole new batch of sisters to help and get to know.

"Why do you have so many tattoos?" one of the newer Hunters asked. From her scent and her t-shirt, Arthur could tell she was a daughter of Venus. All of her children had a slight increase in their pheromones. It was to help with their love domain, or so Arthur had been told.

Arthur looked to her, "I thought they looked cool."

Arthur's tattoos covered his entire back, chest, and arms. Each one had a meaning to it, mostly something like strength, bravery, or courage, but he was not going to tell the new Hunters that, especially the ones from Rome. He did not trust the Romans because of how they talked about him.

"What about that circle with nothing in it?" a new Greek Hunter asked.

Arthur tensed, that was the spot where the spear pierced him when he saved Reyna. He guessed that story had not circulated as much as he thought. He reached up and rubbed the spot on his chest.

"What was there, was destroyed." Arthur told her.

"When? How?" the same girl asked.

"It was destroyed in battle," Arthur paused before adding, "A lifetime ago."

Thalia knew how he got the injury and could tell it was upsetting him. Reyna had really done a number on him it appeared. Thalia stopped the Hunters question by saying, "Hey little brother, how's about you come and eat with all of us."

Arthur grinned, "No can do Thals. I have to get this place cleaned up and fast. Rome needs me back."

Everyone heard his voice drop from his usual fun loving self, to an emotionless shell. They were all worried about what happened back in New Rome with Reyna. Percy and Annabeth had told the Hunt what they knew of what happened between their brother and Reyna. Artemis had to stop the girls from storming the praetor's quarters and dragging her by her hair to apologize to Arthur.

"Girls, we need to help Arthur as much as we can. He needs to know that we still care about him since he is our brother," Thalia said. She glared at the new Roman recruits who nodded in agreement quickly.

The hunters all nodded, Percy raised his hand like he was in school.

Thalia sighed, "Yes, Fish Face."

The Hunt laughed and Percy glared before asking, "What about me and Annabeth?"

Thalia grinned evilly, "Like I said, **GIRLS** , we need to help Arthur."

Percy drew Riptide, "You must be aching to get hurt Pinecone Face."

"Bring it Jackson," Thalia replied, drawing her spear and shield.

"Enough," a voice rang out. Everyone turned to see Sarah standing on a table, hands on her hips and anger in her eyes.

"That is the Hunt's brother, and a friend to all of us. He his hurting, and us fighting will not help him. You two," Sarah pointed at Thaila and Percy, "will act you age not your shoe size and put his needs above your rivalry for once. You," she pointed to the Romans, "will put aside your prejudice against him. He is a part of us and if you are going to be in this family you will treat him as family. GOT IT!"

Everyone nodded. They knew Sarah and Arthur had formed a strong brother-sister relationship. When it came to Arthur, Sarah got very defensive, and it was the same for Arthur. The Hunt finished breakfast quickly and started to rebuild the tanning station that had been destroyed. Annabeth had an idea and drug Percy with her into the woods. She promised Sarah that it was going to be a gift for Arthur as they walked off.

"Excuse me, Sarah?" one of the Romans said nervously.

Sarah raised her eyebrow at her, "What's your name again?"

"Leia."

Sarah nodded, "What's up Leia?"

Leia cleared her throat, "I just wanted to tell you, on behalf of all of the Roman recruits, we do not look at Arthur in a bad way. We have heard many stories about him, we are nervous around him."

Sarah sighed, "Don't believe everything you hear, Leia. My big brother is a good man and cares for each of us as sisters."

Leia looked down, "We are sorry for our behavior so far. We will give him another chance."

Sarah smiled, "Good, now come on, we have work to do."

Arthur had been so focused on his work that he missed all that was happening around him. He had removed the downed trees, and then started to fix some spots on the roof that needed it. He found work that kept him busy until dinner. When the sun started to set, Arthur felt ready to pass out. He had not eaten all day. Having run all the previous night and workeding all day, he was probably about to faint. He knew his mother would kill him for doing that.

He walked through the screened in patio to grab his hoodie, and went inside. Everyone was waiting in the living room for him, and watched as he staggered in. When he saw everyone covered in scrapes and dirt he was confused.

"What happened, were we attacked?" Arthur asked. Had he been that lost in his work.

"Wait, you didn't notice what we did?" Thalia asked.

Arthur shook his head.

Sarah sighed, "You work too hard brother, come with us."

Sarah grabbed his hand and led him out. The newer hunters could not believe that someone as muscled and tough looking as Arthur could be easily led by a small girl like Sarah. When they reached outside, Arthur felt his breath escape him. The Hunt had done a lot of the work he had to do yet. The tanning station was fixed, the garden was cleaned out, and the wolves even had a shelter now. He could not believe his eyes.

"Why?" he whispered.

Sarah spoke up, "You took care of this place for a few years to help us. We know you are hurting right now brother, so we decided to help you."

Arthur had only cried twice in his life. The first time was after Zoe's death. She had helped raise him and he loved her dearly. Sarah reminded him a lot of Zoe. The second time was when he heard Phoebe had died. She had been his best friend. Today, marked the third time Arthur had cried.

He fell to his knees and wrapped Sarah in a hug. As his tears poured out, the weight of everything came crashing down in that instant. He could not save his sisters who died months ago, Reyna hated him, the Romans saw him as an abomination, and the Greeks usually treated him as an outcast. The only family he had know for the longest time was Percy, Annabeth, and the wolves. He had almost forgotten how much his sisters loved him. Now he was reminded of everything with how they helped him out.

Tears filled everyone's eyes as they watched the strong son of Artemis break down. No one there had ever seen him this overwhelmed before. Slowly everyone surrounded him to join in a hug.

"Look around you brother. Never forget that these people care about you. Even the newer hunters, who only have stories to go on, care about you. You will get through this and things will get better, we promise," Sarah whispered to him.

The group let Arthur go so he could stand up. He nodded his thanks and wiped his eyes. Annabeth and Percy came up to him next. Arthur could smell fresh turned earth on both of them.

"We wanted to say thank you to you also. Thanks to your meditation teaching the other night we had our first sleep without nightmares in a long time," Annabeth said.

Arthur smiled, "Thanks is not necessary. I'm happy to help."

Percy grabbed his shoulder, "Well unfortunately, Wise Girl here had me tear up some forest for our gift to you. C'mon we will show you."

Arthur followed slowly. He felt as if any step he took would be the last before he collapsed. Hunger and heartbreak were difficult to overcome. He was glad for what everyone did, but his thoughts went back to the anger on Reyna's face. Gone were the caring pools of obsidian that were her eyes. Gone was the playful smirk she had when they were together. Both replaced by a mask of rage, and what made things worse, was Arthur still thought she looked good.

He trudged forward until he came to a small clearing that did not exist before. Arthur knew a stream came through this area, but even if it flooded it would not have cleared things out. Arthur took in the land before him and gasped. It was a replica of his meditation spot at Camp Half-Blood.

"How?" Arthur couldn't form any other words.

Percy answered him, "Push-ups, Sit-ups, and plenty of juice."

A couple of the Hunt laughed. They watched anime and had seen DragonBall Z and the abridged version so they understood the joke. Annabeth rolled her eyes at her boyfriend.

"Percy forced the trees out and controlled the water to form the small waterfall. One of the Hunters is a daughter of Demeter, so she helped with the grass. The only thing we could not get was the Moonlace."

Arthur was overwhelmed by their gesture. He watched the world around him spin violently as his vision tunneled. The last thing he heard was Sarah yelling his name, and feeling soft grass on his back. Then, everything went black.

Arthur woke up the next day to a frightening site. Thalia's face was an inch away from his. Arthur was not sure what was happening, so he did the manliest thing he could think of in the split second his eyes opened. He screamed like a frightened little girl.

Thalia freaked out from the scream and landed hard on the floor. Artemis, who had been sitting nearby was laughing hard. Thalia joined in as she stood up, rubbing her back. Arthur was lost.

"What's going on?"

Artemis fixed her son with a stare, "After you not eating and working yourself to near death, you fainted. We let you sleep for a while, but it's time for you to eat."

"Why was Thalia so close to my face?"

Artemis shrugged, "To wake you up."

Arthur sighed, "How much trouble am I in mom?"

Artemis' look softened, "None son. That praetor might be though."

Arthur put a hand on her and noticed his normally tanned skin was ghostly white. He would deal with that later, right now he had to stop his mom.

"Don't do anything to her, please?" Arthur pleaded.

Artemis and Thalia's eyes widened. Artemis whispered, "You still love her?"

The door to Arthur's room opened to reveal Annabeth carrying a tray of food, "Of course he still loves her. They are just in a rough patch. Reyna will come around and apologize for being so angry and they can go back to kissing."

Artemis glared, "What are you doing in here Annabeth? Also, please refrain from discussing my sons actions with that girl in my presence. I may let him date, but I don't need to hear about it right now."

Annabeth glared right back, "I'm in here to bring Arthur some food. Percy's mom has been teaching me how to cook, and I need the practice"

She set the tray down for Arthur and handed him a bowl, and a spoon. Arthur saw it was chicken soup and it smelled delightful. Arthur did not bother with the spoon and tipped the bowl into his mouth, drinking most of the soup in one gulp.

Artemis chuckled at her son's eagerness, while Annabeth shook her head.

"Boys," Annabeth muttered.

Artemis smirked at Annabeth's comment. She remembered when the demigod politely refused to join the Hunt years ago. She looked back down at her son.

"Eat and regain your strength. Those are your orders for this week. I will train the Hunt here for this week to make sure you are better. It will also make sure you don't sneak off to Rome too soon"

Arthur nodded, knowing better than to upset his mother.

She leaned down to kiss his forehead, "If you are ever that reckless again, you will discover what being a jackalope is like."

Artemis and Thalia left the room, leaving Arthur and Annabeth. Percy walked in when Artemis left, he had not wanted to offend or anger her in any way. Arthur finished his soup and handed the bowl to Annabeth.

"How do I know what you say is true? About Reyna?" he asked.

Annabeth sighed, "Percy and I went to talk to her after we saw you training. She was a wreck Arthur."

Arthur sighed, "No matter what I do I seem to hurt her. She hates me for not returning sooner, and when I do I mess everything up apparently. Now she probably hates me more."

Annabeth placed her hand on his, "No Arthur. It's actually the opposite. She feels bad for yelling at you and letting her anger take control. She still loves you."

Arthur shrugged, "I guess we will see when I return. I'm sorry that I will be leaving you on your own with your meditation sooner than expected."

"Don't worry about it," Percy said, "If we have trouble we will Iris Message you."

Arthur nodded. He slowly got up out of his bed and made his way towards the door. He looked back at Annabeth and asked, "What do I do now?"

"How do you feel about her?" Annabeth asked.

"It's like you said, I still love her, but how can I trust her to not get upset when I have assignments from my mother? How do I know she is sincere about her feelings?" Arthur was realizing why his mother stayed a maiden.

"Give her a chance, Arthur. That's all you can do."

 **This chapter was more fluffier. I hope you liked it. For now, have a happy St. Patrick's Day, and let me know what you thought.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys, sorry for the delay in updating. Writers block set in kinda hard recently. Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter. I do not know Rick Riprdan, although that would be awesome if I did. You guys and your encouragement definitely help keep me writing and trying to get through the blocks. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter of The Venator.**

Reyna paced uneasily in her apartment, waiting for it to be an acceptable time to head towards the arena for morning assembly. It was a week to the day since she chased off Arthur. Every day he had been gone, she regretted what happened. It did not help Arthur's mother visited her about halfway through the last week. She shuddered at the memory.

Reyna was walking back to her apartment from the archery ranges. She had been overseeing the archers training while Arthur was finishing his task for his mother. She quickly wiped away tears that had started forming so no one could see. She had been crying a lot since Arthur left. She knew it was her fault, but she could not help think someone else was involved. Whenever she recalled that meeting she remembered feeling like she was watching from inside her body while someone else worked the controls

Reyna had talked to some of the children of Trivia to see if she had been possessed by an eidolon, but they could find nothing. Reyna had hoped she had been possessed like Percy and Jason were during the war, that would be a good explanation for her actions. However, that had not been the case.

Reyna was so lost in her thoughts that she did not feel the aura of power waiting for her in her apartment. She shut her door and walked towards her mini kitchen to grab a drink. Pulling out a soda, Reyna made her way to her couch, and heard her door lock. Reyna set her soda down slowly and placed a hand in the hilt of her knife. Spinning around, she prepared to meet the threat head on; only to be knocked back onto her couch.

Reyna felt as if she had been hit by a semi truck. She looked and saw who her attacker was. She could not believe her eyes.

"Lady Diana," Reyna gasped out, unable to catch her breath from the roundhouse kick she received.

"Praetor," Diana hissed. Reyna could hear the venom in the goddess' voice. She knew why Lady Diana was here. Reyna had hoped his would not happen, but that was too much to hope for.

Reyna knelt before the goddess, "I am truly sorry for what happened between your son and I. I will accept any punishment you seek to give out."

Diana raised an eyebrow. Diana felt some of the anger she had dissipate at the sincerness of Reyna's voice. She decided to cool down and be level headed about the situation.

"Rise and sit child, tell me your story. Then, I will decide your punishment."

Reyna did as she was instructed, never making eye contact with the goddess. She explained how she felt like something had controlled her when Arthur came to her office. She then explained what she had been doing since he left.

Diana sighed when Reyna finished, "Look at me child. I will not kill you for your transgression. It does not seem it was your fault. However, you must now prove your worth to me again. If you truly do love my son, you must complete tasks I give you."

Reyna looked at the goddess and her mouth hung open, "Do you mean like Hercules and his labors?"

Diana glared, "Do not mention that boy in front of me demigod. You will receive your tasks each night. They are to be completed by the given deadline. If you finish them without complaining, you may prove that you are worthy of my son."

Reyna nodded, "Thank you my Lady. I will not let you down."

"Oh, one other thing," Diana said, "How do you truly feel about my son?"

"I love him, my lady. I've finally realized that," Reyna replied.

Diana smacked Reyna's left shoulder and the symbol of a wolf appeared. Reyna paled at what the goddess had done.

"This will allow me to keep watch on you. If you do something I don't like, you will know it," after that Diana flashed out of her Apartment.

Reyna pulled herself out of the memory and focused on the present. Looking at the time, Reyna realized she needed to hurry to the arena for roll call. Grabbing the silver hunting jacket Arthur had given her last week, she ran out the door. Autumn was definitely here, as the air was a little cooler than it had been. Reyna was glad she had Arthur's jacket to keep out the wind.

She arrived at the arena to see Frank waiting for her. None of the cohorts had arrived yet, so Reyna knew she was on time. Frank gave her a small smile when she appeared.

"Any new projects?" Frank asked her.

Reyna shook her head. She had told Frank about her punishment. He needed to know so that he would understand if Reyna could not be somewhere. So far Artemis had tasked her with three solo hunts and sharpening arrows. The arrows had to be completed the night they were dropped off, but Reyna was usually given about two days for her hunts. Reyna was sore and exhausted, but she would see it through.

"That's good then. What was the arrow count last night?"

Reyna groaned, "Three hundred and twenty. I swear the Hunt is just shooting arrows into rocks everyday to make my life miserable."

Frank looked concerned, "Reyna, you can always ask for help, or even stop doing it."

Reyna shook her head, "You know I can't. It's punishment and I will face it like a Roman."

As she said this the cohorts began to file into the arena. Reyna hoped that she would see Arthur walk in as well, seeing as this was the end of his final week training the pups. She was disappointed, Arthur did not show up. Reyna felt her heart break even further. Maybe he was not coming back, she thought.

Frank addressed the Legion and handed out duties for each cohort. Reyna stared forward but did not really focus on what was being said. When Frank asked if she had anything to add she shook her head and kept her eyes forward. A voice called through the haze and grabbed her attention.

"My praetors, if I may. I will start training the archers today, after delivering my report to you if you wish."

Reyna's eyes scanned the crowd, looking for the owner of the voice. She felt herself start to melt when she heard it. After a moment of looking she found him. He was walking towards the praetor's stand. He wore his sleeveless hoodie and showed off his tattoos, although his hood was up. On his back was his bow and a pack. On one side he carried his quiver of arrows, one the other his Celestial Bronze Bowie knife. Reyna was disheartened when she did not see the knife she gave him on his side as well.

Murmurs and pointing followed him as Arthur moved closer to the praetor. He knew many still distrusted him at best. He stopped in front of Reyna and Frank, waiting for a response.

Frank glanced at Reyna before saying, "That will be fine venator. We will meet after this then you can take the archers."

Arthur nodded and took his place behind the praetors. Frank dismissed the Legion to their daily trainings. The archers remained behind, but most looked uneasy. The only ones who were excited were the archers of the Third and Fifth. A centurion from the First, Second, and Fourth approached Frank and Reyna.

"Centurions, is there a problem?" Frank asked.

The centurion from the First spoke up, "Yes, our archers refuse to train with an abomination."

Frank sighed, he had heard mutterings similar to this all week. Looking straight at the centurions he started to speak, "I'm sorry to hear that, however…"

"However, we are your praetors and you will follow our rulings and direction. Do I make myself clear?" Reyna interrupted.

The centurion from the Fourth spoke up this time, "With all do respect praetor, I don't think you are speaking impartially here. Seeing as how you are sleeping with the Venator."

Reyna was furious at his accusation. Her knife was in her hand ready to attack. She glared at the centurion and asked, "What did you say?"

The centurion was about to respond, but was cut off by a flash of silver. Standing between the praetors and centurions was Arthur. He held his hands out to stop both parties.

"Everybody freeze," he told them, "My praetors, if they do not wish for the training then they shall not have it. However," turning to look at the three centurions, "I don't want to see your archers anywhere near mine then."

Everyone was quiet until Frank broke the silence, "If that is how you wish it Arthur, then that is how it will be. Centurions, dismissed."

As they started to walk away, Arthur followed the centurion from the Fourth. Everyone watched nervously as the centurion turned and drew a weapon to meet his stalker. Arthur and the centurion glRed at one another, although the centurion could not see Arthur's face due to the hood.

"If you ever question the honor of one of these praetors again, you will not walk away," Arthur said menacingly.

The centurion smirked, "Oh yea? What will you do about it?"

Arthur moved so quickly that no one knew what happened. Only that the centurion was pinned to the ground and Arthur had his knife at the boy's throat. Arthur whispered something in his ear that caused him to go pale and scamper off. Arthur turned to address the archers who were staying.

"We will meet on the Fields of Mars after lunch. Pack as if you are going camping for a single night."

The archers from the Third and Fifth nodded and ran off to their barracks. Arthur turned and walked back to the praetors. Reyna stood and watched Arthur stoically, unsure of what he was planning. Arthur stopped in front of her and Frank.

"My praetors I will be staying around, at least for the time being. My current business with my mother is completed, and I'm here to fulfill my duties."

Frank nodded with appreciation, "Thank you Arthur. What do you plan to do with the archers who still follow you?"

Arthur smirked, "Wilderness survival training. We will be gone about a week for this first exercise."

Frank frowned, "I'm not sure how I feel about that Arthur. Has Reyna seen what you plan to do?"

Arthur tensed at the mention of Reyna's name. He had yet to actually look her in the eye. He was afraid of what he would see.

"No one has seen this plan yet," Arthur responded.

Frank sighed, "I'm afraid we will have to cancel your training then, until it can be properly reviewed by myself or Reyna."

Reyna saw Arthur's shoulders sag. She could tell he was disappointed at not being able to train the archers. Reyna had not realized how much Arthur was looking forward to it. She wanted to talk to Arthur about what happened and maybe start over. If he was allowed to do his training she would not see him, if he was not allowed he would be angrier. An idea suddenly popped into her head.

"Praetor Zhang, what if one of us accompanied the archers on this training?" Reyna asked.

Arthur avoided Reyna's gaze again and looked towards Frank. Frank thought for a moment about Reyna's idea.

"That could work I think. You have been doing this longer than I have Reyna, so you should know," Frank finally said.

Reyna nodded, "I think we can work around this regulation. What do you say Arthur?"

Arthur nodded respectfully, "If that will allow me to start the archers training, then I think Praetor Reyna's idea is fine."

Reyna felt her throat clench and tears begin to form. Arthur was being so formal with her in every answer. She had truly messed things up between them. That thought only made her feel more determined to fix things. She would prove her feelings for Arthur no matter what.

"I will go with them, since I have been working with the archers this week," Reyna said.

Arthur's head snapped up so fast that Reyna thought he broke his neck. The force of the move even knocked his hood back. Reyna was finally able to see the silver eyes that filled her thoughts. When she looked at them she could see pain and confusion. She mentally berated herself for causing Arthur to go through this.

"Perfect," Frank said, "Then we can determine from there what to change and what to continue. No offense, Arthur, I trust you. We just have to make sure there is nothing too crazy about what you're doing."

Arthur nodded, "I understand Frank. If that is all, I have to go secure some supplies from Angela."

Frank bid him goodbye and walked out of the arena. Reyna stayed, telling Frank she would see him in a week. She noticed that Arthur was studying her warily. Probably expecting me to lash out at him, she thought.

"C'mon, Angela will be glad to see you," Reyna said.

"As you command," Arthur replied.

Reyna clenched her jaw as she tried to keep from crying. Arthur's time was so stoic and bereft of emotion. She decided she would start trying to make amends now.

"Arthur, look, I'm sorry for what happened a week ago," Reyna told him her whole story about what had happened. She even told him about asking the Trivia campers for help.

Arthur ignored her at first, but eventually listened intently as Reyna explained what happened. Especially, when she said she was not possessed by a eidolon. He had seen a spell in the necronomicon that could control someone and leave no trace for those untrained in the dark arts to find. He knew he would have to search Reyna magically later for any signs of dark magics.

When she finished, Arthur stopped her by grabbing her shoulder, "Reyna, you do know that if it was a spell or spirit, it cannot make you say things like that if the feelings weren't there already?"

Reyna nodded, "I do. I'm so sorry I felt that way. We had not talked for a long time and then you showed up without a heads up or anything. I was a little upset with you. Whatever happened just escalated it."

Reyna leaned in towards Arthur, hoping he would hug her. She wrapped her arms behind his shoulders and placed her head on his chest. Just as Arthur began to wrap one of his arms to soothe her, Reyna jumped back screaming in pain.

Arthur looked at her, his eyes full of concern, "Rey! What's wrong?"

The pain stopped when she let go of him. Reyna heard him use her nickname and wanted to smile, but the pain from Diana's curse mark was blocking all else. It felt like someone branded her shoulder. She knew she could not tell Arthur about it though.

"Nothing, I'm fine. Sorry to scare you," Reyna told him.

Arthur narrowed his eyes, "That grip you have on shoulder tells me otherwise."

Reyna bit her lip, he could not know, "Arthur, just trust me on this one, please?"

Arthur rolled his eyes, "I never could resist when a girl asked a simple favor. I blame my mother and sisters."

Reyna nodded her thanks, "Now let's go before Angela finds out you're here and haven't seen her yet."

The two walked in a comfortable silence. Reyna did not want to push her luck yet. She would talk to him more later about what happened last week and where they stood. Reyna hoped her explanation had helped.

Angela's Smithy was known as the best blacksmith shop in New Rome. The former centurion had certainly made a name for herself since the Giant War. Everyone wanted Angela to make things for them. Her business got so busy that she had to hire three other demigods to help. Even with that help, she was still turning away business.

Reyna walked in confidently and went behind the counter. Arthur watched in amazement as she grabbed a heavy apron and a job request. Arthur assumed Reyna was playing a joke, until she started heating some ore to make something.

"You work here?" Arthur asked.

Reyna nodded, "I found it helps me think."

Before Arthur could say anything else, two arms circled around him and he was lifted off his feet. He heard the laughter of his only sister outside of the Hunt.

"Reyna, I told you the lost puppy would come home," Angela said.

Arthur struggled in her arms, "Put me down you behemoth."

Angela threw Arthur into a wall, "What have I told you about calling me that?"

Arthur rubbed his head, "Well after the concussion you just gave me it's hard to remember."

Reyna giggled. She was reminded of when they were younger and the three of them were inseparable. Reyna missed those days. Everything was simpler, and they had more fun. She had not ruined her chance at a relationship.

"Are you here to help out?" Angela asked Arthur.

Arthur shook his head, "Just coming to grab some knives for the archers. Do you have any?"

Angela rubbed the back of her head, as she did soot shook out of her hair, "I think I can have that covered. You need what fifty?"

Arthur shook his head, "Just twenty. Only archers from the Third and Fifth wish to receive training."

Angela frowned, "That makes no sense. All the other archers seemed to support you. Why would they change their minds?"

Arthur shrugged, "Probably has to do with the rumor that I corrupted Reyna and am trying to control her."

Angela turned to yell at Reyna, "You haven't put a stop to this yet? We talked about this last week when you came to me crying."

Arthur was surprised to hear what Angela said, and the fact that Reyna's face turned four shades of red when she did say it. Arthur wondered if Reyna still cared for her. He honestly thought it was all gone when she yelled last week. Now, he knew something had controlled her with dark magics. Did that mean they could still have their relationship?

Reyna glared at Angela, "I've been trying. They legionnaires don't want to believe the truth for the most part."

"What truth have you been telling them?" Angela demanded.

Reyna gulped, she did not want to say this in front of Arthur, at least not yet. It was too soon. She figured she would try to work it in during the wilderness survival trip, after they had spent a lot of time together. She knew Angela would make her say it one way or another though. Might as well show her hand and let the chips fall where the may.

"That Arthur is a good man and a loyal Roman. I tell them that even though he was raised Greek and is gone for periods of time, he always has the best interest of Rome at heart."

Angela crossed her arms, "How to you assure them you are telling the truth and not some lie he told you."

"Angela, that's enough," Arthur interjected, "As venator, I can. It have you speak to the praetor that way."

Angela pushed Arthur back, "This is for your benefit little brother. I heard what happened last week and there's something you need to hear. You two have always been close, I'm not letting some mystical unseen force ruin that."

Arthur was truly lost now. Angela was interrogating Reyna in front of him for his benefit. What did the questions have to do with fixing what happened last week? Reyna already explained everything for her side. Arthur planned to investigate it and see what happened to his friend. He understood that's what they could be from now on, never anything more.

"Reyna, continue," Angela said.

Reyna took a deep breath, she had never felt this vulnerable before, she locked eyes with Arthur, "I tell them the reason it's not a lie, is because...I...could not…love anyone...who was not a loyal Roman."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, afraid he already knew the answer.

Reyna smiled at him and quietly said, "Arthur, I love you."

Arthur was speechless. He kept opening his mouth to try and say something, but words would never come. He looked like a fish on land, gasping to breathe. Reyna would have found it funny, but she was more nervous than anything since she had just put herself out there.

Angela finally smacked Arthur on the back, "Well, you going to say anything or not?"

Arthur looked at his feet, when he finally spoke his voice was stern and straightforward, "Meet me on the fields of Mars after lunch Reyna. The archers will leave then. If you can, please bring the knives."

Without another word Arthur left the blacksmith shop. Reyna could not believe it. She had expressed her feelings, and Arthur had simply told her where to be and when. She was not positive that it was a rejection, but it sure felt like one. This had to be proof then that any chance at a relationship the two of them had was gone, and it was all her fault.

"Don't worry Reyna, he just needs time to process," Angela said as she patted Reyna's shoulder.

Reyna sighed, "I don't think it matters. I've truly screwed up it seems."

Angela rubbed her friends back, "When you told me the two of you kissed all those months ago, I told you a relationship with him would be tough. He's been through much and does not feel welcome here. If you want it to work, you are going to have to work hard for it. The Reyna I knew never gave up. I'm not sure where this limp noodle came from."

Reyna chuckled at her friend, "You're right. I should have known that. That's probably why he was so formal with me until I told him what happened."

"It looks to me like he has almost forgiven you," Angela told her.

"You think so?"

Angela nodded, "I trained Arthur. When no one else was friendly with him, I was there. That boy can't hide anything from me. No matter how muscular and tattooed he is."

Reyna noticed the dreamy look in Angela's face, "Should I tell Kyle what I just heard?"

Angela grabbed a mallet from a nearby workbench, "You do, and I will bash that head of yours in, praetor or not."

Reyna laughed, "Thanks Angela. You live up to your reputation of a daughter of Vulcan. You can even manage to fix us organics."

Angela smirked, "Yeah, well don't spread it around. Now get going before someone else moves in on your man."

Arthur walked through the city. His thoughts came one after another and filled his brain with many different ideas. Reyna loved him? That's what she had said at least. Could Arthur truly believe it?

He had spent a good part of his week trying to get over Reyna in case she did not return his feelings anymore. He was not ready for this. What was he going to do?

His feet led him to a familiar temple. It was his favorite temple in Camp Jupiter, and not just because it belonged to his mother. Arthur always found he could think here, and he wanted to be able to clear his mind right now. He glanced at all the temples around him, wondering if those gods could take care of their children like Artemis had him. Arthur's eyes stopped on a temple that sat a good ways away from his mother's. He had never gone into another god's temple, but he thought he could get answers from this one.

Walking into the open face building, Arthur already felt embarrassed. In front of him was a statue of a female, naked from the top up. Artemis had always stressed decency in the Hunt; Arthur did not know what to do. Maybe this was a bad idea, he thought.

Suddenly, the smell of perfumes that reminded him of Reyna's scent. It still smelled like a forest rainstorm and he wondered if she had come in here ahead of him. When he walked deeper into the temple, Arthur came to a large open room. There was a lone figure standing there with her arms crossed, as if waiting on him. Arthur thought it was Reyna, until he felt the aura of power.

Kneeling, Arthur addressed the goddess before him, "Aphrodite."

 **I hope you guys liked it. The next chapter is already in the works so updates should go back to at least once a week. Thanks to those who have been reading this story.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys I apologize for the delays in the recent chapters. This new year has thrown all it could at me it seems. Been dealing with sicknesses in family, anxiety and depression, and just recently found out my grandmother is in the hospital. I have had things written and ready to post, I just have not been able to get on here and post them. Thank you for being patient with me and reading the story. I want to say a special thanks to USAirforce for his reviews. They have helped me get focused again and get back to publishing. You guys are awesome, keep the reviews coming. Here is the next chapter of the Venator.**

Arthur was not sure why he had been led into Aphrodite's temple, but he figured it would make his life more complicated. Artemis had always taught him to be careful of the love goddess, but Arthur figured it was simply because of their rivalry. Artemis thought girls should stay maidens, Aphrodite did not. Arthur carefully lifted his gaze to look at the goddess.

"I see being raised by Artemis makes you think of us in our Greek forms," Aphrodite said, "I'm usually referred to as Venus here."

Arthur mentally scolded himself, he had been spending too much time with the Greeks if he was referring to Roman forms of the gods by their Greek names.

"I'm sorry Lady Venus, it won't happen again," Arthur said respectfully.

Aphrodite sighed, "Let's keep it Greek for now, and don't be so formal. This is a friendly visit."

Arthur stood slowly, hoping not to anger the love goddess. As he rose to his full height, he could not help but feel as if Aphrodite was appraising him. Her eyes looked him up and down. Her gaze lingered on his body more than he felt comfortable with. She even walked up to him and ran her hands over his shoulders.

"Artemis certainly did a good job raising you," Aphrodite said appraisingly, "I almost want to keep you for myself."

Arthur gulped. The only girl he had ever been this close to was Reyna, and he'd rather keep it that way. When Aphrodite tried to run her fingers through his hair, Arthur quickly ducked out of the way. Instinct sent his hand to his knife hilt.

"Don't get so jumpy. I might take offense," Aphrodite told him.

Arthur glared, "Are you here to answer my questions?"

Aphrodite smiled softly, "As much as I can, some things cannot be revealed yet."

Arthur did not like the ominous sound of her words. If she was going to hide things, what was the point of asking questions. He suddenly remembered a lesson Zoe taught him all those years ago. Any information helps when you are unsure of your prey.

It's not like he was stalking Reyna, but he was not sure what his next move should be. He wondered if trying to understand girls would always be similar to a hunt, or if it was just Reyna. Smiling as if she had just read his thoughts, Aphrodite put a comforting hand on Arthur's shoulder.

"That is an accurate way to describe love," Aphrodite said.

Arthur looked at her dumbfounded, "You were reading my thoughts?"

Aphrodite nodded, "Love has been described as many things, but I think in this case a hunt is accurate."

"Why is that?"

Aphrodite smiled at Arthur's question, "Well let's say your prey is a relationship with Reyna. Has it been easy to get a hold of it?"

Arthur shook his head, "No. Something always gets in the way. First Jason, now her yelling has me in edge."

Aphrodite nodded, "So first a rival hunter got in your way. Then your prey fought back. What would you do if this were a hunting mission?"

Arthur scratched at his arm, "I would get a team of my sisters and we would take the beast down."

Aphrodite groaned and placed her head in her hands as she sat on a bench in her temple. Arthur, who was thoroughly confused now, sat beside her. After a few minutes, Aphrodite looked at the son of Artemis.

"You truly are your mother's son. She could only think of hunting and practical things too. Think with your heart not your head."

Arthur growled at the supposed insult, "You asked what I would do on a hunt. Not what I want to do with Reyna."

Aphrodite giggled, "So you want to do things with her?"

Arthur's face turned beat red, "N-n-not like that!"

Arthur could not believe she would suggest something like that. His mother would kill him if he even thought of such things. Looking around to make sure Artemis was not, in fact, waiting to strike, Arthur found his thoughts drifting towards Reyna in an inappropriate manner. Quickly shaking his head, he stopped the images from coming.

Aphrodite laughed, "Your mother really trained you on the whole respect thing, didn't she?"

Arthur simply nodded.

Aphrodite sighed, "Reyna has a long road ahead it seems."

Arthur slumped his shoulders, unsure of what Aphrodite meant. He had come here for answers, but was only getting more questions. How was he going to know if things could be fixed with him and Reyna.

Aphrodite put an arm around Arthur, "Tell me what you wanted to talk about. I won't interrupt this time."

Arthur sighed. Aphrodite's aura seemed to change a little bit. Instead of a feeling of romance, she gave of a feeling of caring. Arthur figured this was a different kind of love. It felt like the love shared between two close friends. He realized her aura made him want to share everything.

Arthur could not hold back. He explained what happened at the end of the war, how he took the spear and everything that led up to their kiss. Then he explained what happened afterwards. He told her about the fight they had and how Reyna thinks she was controlled. Arthur felt a tear form in his eye as he finished his story and told Aphrodite what Reyna told him.

"I don't know what to do. She said she loves me, but she acted like she hated me a week ago. Please, Aphrodite, can you give me some advice?" Arthur pleaded with the love goddess.

Aphrodite sighed, "I can only say that maybe you should talk to her about it directly. Then you may get the answers you seek."

Rubbing his eyes with his finger and thumb, Arthur remembered everything his mother ever told him about the love goddess. He realized how true Artemis had been with her description of Aphrodite. The love goddess truly was unhelpful.

"I have a question for you though young hero," Aphrodite said.

"What would that be Lady Aphrodite?" Arthur asked.

Aphrodite smiled at the son of Artemis, "What are your feelings towards the praetor?"

Arthur felt his face heat up, and he could not meet Aphrodite's gaze. He knew that he cared a lot for Reyna. One could probably say he loved her. As he considered this thought he only realized more and more how he truly felt. He looked back up at Aphrodite and smirked.

"I guess you got one more person in your domain now," Arthur said.

Aphrodite laughed, "I'm just glad you could admit it. Maybe you could convince your mother that it's okay to love and she can forget that stupid oath of hers."

Arthur quickly drew a knife and pointed it at the goddess, "You go too far Aphrodite."

Aphrodite smiled as she faded away, "You and your mother both need to lighten up."

Arthur growled at the spot where the goddess stood. His mother was right, anytime the love goddess tries to be helpful, she tries to make a mess of things. Shaking his head regain his focus, Arthur walked out of the temple and made his way towards the city of New Rome. He planned to have something to eat before meeting up with the archers.

After a satisfying lunch which consisted of a Reuben sandwich and some tea, Arthur started to make his way towards the Fields of Mars. As he had ate, he had thought hard about what Aphrodite had said, how Reyna had said she loved him, and what his own feelings were. Luckily, the sandwich shop had outdoor seating and Arthur had been able to sit in a spot where he could avoid anyone's attention. Arthur had drawn one of his throwing knives and had been sharpening it to help him think. It would have been bad if someone walked by and thought he was getting ready to attack.

As he was lost in his thoughts he had accidently cut his hand with the silver knife. Arthur had already bandaged the wound but he could not get the image of his blood out of his head. Throughout his many adventures Arthur had seen people get injured, both mortal and immortal. Mortals had red blood, while immortals had ichor which was gold and shimmered in light. Arthur did not understand what was wrong with his blood when he saw it. The color was clearly red, but as the light hit it, his blood shimmered similar to that of immortal ichor. He did not understand what was going on. Why was his blood like this? Had he somehow started becoming immortal without realizing it? It made no sense to him.

That was the thought that plagued his mind as he entered the Fields. Reyna and the archers were waiting eagerly for the Venator to arrive, their eagerness caused by different thoughts. The archers from the Third and Fifth cohorts were excited to finally begin their intense training with their hero. They had been perfecting their archery, but now they wanted to learn more of the skills Arthur knew. They wanted to become the best trained scouting strike team Rome has ever seen. A couple of them had been watching Rambo movies thinking that was what they would be like after they received their training.

Reyna, on the other hand, was worried that she had scared off Arthur. She knew it was a gamble to declare her true feelings for Arthur. However, she also knew they would never be able to move forward if she had not. She wanted to fix things, so that for once, she might be able to be happy like all of her friends. She liked the way she felt when she was around Arthur and she wanted that back.

"Venator, we are ready to depart. Should we send someone to grab your gear?" Kyle asked.

Arthur glanced up at the person who spoke. He recognized Angela's boyfriend instantly. He wondered how much longer Kyle was going to be in the Legion since Angela had retired recently to run the forge full time. Arthur took in the sight of those standing in front of him and had to laugh. Every single one of the archers was a guy. He had not realized that he was starting the male version of the Hunt by doing this.

"Centurion Kyle, I am surprised to see you here. I would have figured as a Centurion you would keep you busy," Arthur said, "To answer your question, I have everything I need in this small pack on my back."

The archers looked at it skeptically. Arthur had told them to pack as if they were going camping for a single night. How could he go camping, even for one night, with that little of equipment? Was his bag enchanted?

Arthur could tell from the looks he was receiving that they did not believe him. He chuckled inwardly. Zoe had made sure Arthur knew how to pack a bag and taught him what the true essentials were. He looked and saw tents, sleeping bags, pots and pans, and even a cooler amongst the gear that the archers had brought. Arthur's bag looked like a small backpacking pack which had a bedroll tied onto it. He smiled when he saw Reyna carrying something similar to his, the only difference was hers was a little larger.

"Just so you know, you will be carrying the gear you brought. We have a twelve mile hike ahead of us today. I hope you can carry everything," Arthur announced to the archers.

The archers looked at all the gear they had brought. They were not sure what to leave behind. Twelve miles was a long way to drag a large cooler. Arthur watched their struggle with a smirk. They had to learn to travel light, he thought.

"Arthur, where are we going that's only twelve miles away?" Reyna asked.

Arthur turned to her with an uncertain glance. Reyna had a hopeful look on her face as she looked at him. Arthur tried to convey a message through his eyes to her. Something that said they would talk tonight.

"Redwood Regional Park," Arthur answered her question.

A groan came from the archers as one said, "That's longer than twelve miles to hike."

Arthur smirked, "It's about twelve miles as the hawk flies. Your training begins now ladies, I hope you are ready for it."

"What happened to your hand?" one of the archers asked.

Arthur looked at the young man, he could not be more than eleven years old, "What's your name son?"

"Nick," the boy replied.

Arthur looked Nick over. He had dark black hair that was cut regulation length and blue eyes. The boy was about five feet tall and had an aura of mischief around him. Arthur was not sure about his lineage, but that would be unimportant. The goal was to get these twelve men to work together as a solid team. A team that would be able to go in ahead of the Legion and assess, and potentially handle the threat.

"Well Nick, this is what happens when you keep your tools sharpened and you don't pay attention."

Arthur noticed Reyna's eyes widen and her face pale a little. She was worried about his condition it seemed. Arthur glanced down at his hasty bandage and saw the blood was starting to soak through. Cursing silently, he reached for his first aid pocket on his pants. Not for the first time. he was glad he started wearing multi-pocket pants. He grabbed a bandage and then addressed the archers.

"Well what are you all looking at, load up so we can head out. As it is, it will be night when we arrive. The days are getting shorter and you have a lot of gear. I told you guys to pack for one night," Arthur told them.

Kyle spoke up for the group, "We were not sure what we would need. We figured we should bring food with us so we can eat."

Arthur shook his head, "Who is my mother? What do you think you were going to learn?"

The archers all suddenly found interest in their shoes. Arthur sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his pointer finger and thumb. Arthur looked over to Reyna for help.

"Is there anyway someone can come and take care of their extra gear? I'd like us to be able to move swiftly," Arthur hoped she would have an answer.

Reyna nodded, "I can have a couple of fauns take care of everything."

The Romans had decided to give the fauns a chance to earn a better lifestyle in New Rome after meeting several of the satyrs at Camp Half-Blood. For the most part, the fauns had become something similar to servants to the Legion, and could be seen moving equipment or carrying messages. Not all the Romans were comfortable with the system yet, but it was starting to grow on them.

"Sounds like a plan," Arthur told Reyna before addressing the archers, "Leave anything that is food or has to do with cooking. We will be gone for at least a week, and that equipment will slow us down."

A fourteen year old blonde-headed archer, who Arthur could only guess was a son of his uncle Apollo, raised his hand, "You told us to only pack for being gone for one night. Most of us only have a change of clothes to sleep in, and a new set for tomorrow."

Arthur glared at each of the archers as they muttered their agreement, "I know what I said. I thought you maggots wanted to receive training from the Venator. One of the heroes of the battle of New Rome in the Titan War. I have heard it on good authority that many of you wish to be like me. Well, to be like me, you're gonna have to train like me. Now enough chit chat, form up and move out!"

Arthur watched as the archers quit complaining and formed two lines. Each had their bows strung across their backs and swords sheathed on their sides. Arthur shook his head as they began to make their way towards the gates of camp. Reyna handed Arthur a large, heavy bundle as they left.

"Here are the knives you were needing. Each one is made simply with steel though," Reyna said.

"Thanks. Steel will work for now. They have other weapons if we are attacked," Arthur told her.

The awkward tension between them seemed to grow as they took their place at the head of the columns. The archers must have sensed it as well because they kept quiet for the first three miles of the journey. Arthur listened as they stumbled around through the woods. He had a long road ahead to train these men like him. He would glance at Reyna who had a determined look on her face. Arthur wondered what was going through her head.

Reyna noticed him glancing over at her several times over the first few miles. She knew he wanted to speak with her later tonight. She had been going over what she would say to him when they did decide to talk. Honestly, she was glad he returned after she declared her feelings.

After the first three miles, the archers began to talk and break formation. Arthur had learned the other ten names of the men following him. Kevin and Steve were sons of Apollo, just like the fourteen year old, whose name was Zach. There was a legacy of Trivia, his name was Richard. Arthur expected to work with Richard on his magic as well as his other training. Surprisingly, there were four legacies of Mercury with them. Their names were Cyrus, Andre, Jacob, and Dustin. Arthur had never seen many children or legacies of Mercury pick up a bow, but these four were quite capable of shooting. The last two were twins and were children of Libertas, roman goddess of freedom. Their names were David and Daniel. They had been the first to break formation and begin to ask questions and goof off.

The trip went by uneventfully as a whole. No monster attacks, for which Arthur was grateful. He had a long day and was hoping to make it to their camp quickly. Night had fallen, and the moon was only half full. There was not much light for them to follow. This, of course, was no problem for Arthur. His mother was the moon goddess and he could see in the dark. In fact, Reyna had seemed to be entranced by his eyes at one point. Arthur asked her what was wrong.

Reyna blushed at the question, realizing that she had been caught staring at his eyes. She simply replied, "Your eyes seem to shine in the darkness."

Arthur was not sure what to think about that, and thanked her. He of course knew his eyes shone a little bit more at night. His mothers did the same thing. Phoebe had always thought it was a little creepy to see them in the pitch dark staring at her. That was how he and Zoe would prank her often.

Arthur finally emerged into a clearing and raised his hand for the demigods behind him to stop. His arm was itching from the new bandages he had put on while they traveled. That meant it was healing, or bleeding again. He hoped it was the former.

"This is where we will set up camp. Hurry and put up your tents, it's about to rain," Arthur told them.

"What will we do for food? Most of us at the snack we pack for the journey here," Dustin asked.

Arthur grinned, "That will be taken care of, don't worry."

Dustin looked at Arthur skeptically as he walked back over to Cyrus. They had decided to partner up and share a tent while they camped. Arthur was glad to see that all of the archers had buddied up for sleeping arrangements. It would make future missions with this group work more successfully. The odd one out was Reyna, who had not started to set up a tent.

"Reyna, do you have a tent?" Arthur asked her.

Reyna nodded, "I grabbed one from the Quartermaster rooms."

Arthur knew the tents she was talking about very well. They were essentially old U.S. military canvas pup tents. The weather that was coming would not be good for her in that kind of tent if she did not have a cot. Water would flood into her tent and she would be soaked. Arthur rubbed his injured arm as he decided how to help her. He finally decided to let her use his tent.

"Here, use mine instead. That way you won't be soaking wet all week because your tent flooded."

He tossed Reyna a small cube which she inspected carefully. Finally, throwing the cube on the ground, she watched as it grew into the tent Arthur used when he traveled with the Hunt. The archers watched in amazement as the tent seemed to grow from nothing and put itself up.

"I got to get me one of those," Daniel said in awe.

"I wonder how much they cost," Kyle added.

"Awesome," the rest seemed to mutter.

Arthur shook his head at the archers comments, "If you can prove yourselves to my mother that you are somewhat capable hunters, then maybe I can get us some. For now though, our praetor will occupy this tent."

"Where are you going to sleep," Richard asked. During the trip, Arthur had taught Richard some simple spells and they had begun to form a bond between them.

Arthur looked around and saw a tree branch that had coverage over it, and looked wide enough for him to sit on. Motioning towards the branch, Arthur told the young magic user, "Most likely I will sleep up there."

Reyna did not like that idea, "Why are you going to sleep in that tree?"

Arthur shrugged, "It has cover from the rain and is a good vantage point to watch over the camp."

Reyna shook her head, "That will hurt your back. Especially since you will probably sleep with your armor on like always."

Arthur glared at her now, "Why is it such a big deal? I slept like this for years when I was on solo hunts. It's part of how I have become as tough as I am."

"That's no reason-" Reyna was cut off by Arthur before she could finish her thought.

"It does not matter Reyna. You may be the leader when we are at camp. Well we are not at camp. We are in the wilderness, and out here I am in charge. Now, all of you settle in with your gear and get ready to eat. I happen to have some meat with me that I need to cook."

"How did you keep it fresh without a cooler?" Nick asked.

"That's one of the things you will learn under my training," Arthur told him.

The archers went and secured their gear. They were nervous after watching the interchange between Arthur and Reyna. They had heard the rumors that there was something going on between those two, but they were not sure if it was a relationship, or that the two hated each other. Either way, they wanted to get away from them before Reyna and Arthur started fighting.

Reyna threw her stuff in her tent and walked over to Arthur who was lighting a fire. She was not happy with his decision to sleep in a tree. She knew there was plenty of room inside his tent that they could make a partition and both could sleep in there.

"Why are you so stubborn?" Reyna asked when she was behind Arthur.

Arthur set up a way to lay skewered pieces of meat over the fire as he answered her, "What are you talking about?"

Reyna crossed her arms, "Why are you sleeping in a tree? Also, I thought I told you to stop sleeping in your armor."

Arthur shrugged, "I'm sleeping in that tree to keep an eye on everything. As for not sleeping in my armor, it didn't take."

Reyna was fuming, "It didn't take? Is that supposed to be an answer for why you disobeyed a direct order."

"What do you want me to say Reyna? I have lived my life constantly on the move. Whether it was in the field or in camp. I had to be ready at all times to fight off enemies, both monsters and demigods. I'm not about to change my ways. Why do you even care?" Arthur countered.

Reyna was hurt by his comeback. She knew he had been bullied and attacked by many of the Romans, but she never realized that was why he wore his armor all the time. He was afraid of being hurt. Was he doing this because she was here?

"Well Reyna, are you going to answer me?" Arthur demanded.

Reyna was brought out of her thoughts by the slightly angry tone in his voice. She looked up at him with sadness in her eyes, "I care about you. That's why I'm worried about you."

Arthur was stunned by the softness of her voice. He figured now was a good time for them to talk. He flipped the meat skewers over so one side would not get burnt, then turned to face her.

"I've been thinking a lot about what you said earlier today," Arthur told her.

Reyna felt her heart start to race as she sat down on one of the large rocks surrounding the fire pit. She was not sure what Arthur was going to say. She hoped that it was he still returned her feelings and wanted to get back to how they were when she left Camp Half-Blood all those months ago. However, whatever he decided, Reyna hoped that they could still be friends after this.

"After you said you loved me," Arthur continued, "I went for a walk around the shrines of New Rome. I went to my mother's shrine to try to clear my head, but was pulled into the shrine for Venus. It was Aphrodite who actually appeared, but she and I had a long talk about the situation we have."

Reyna gulped, "What did she say?"

Arthur shrugged, "Not a lot of important stuff, and definitely no where near enough answers that I needed. So after listening to her I went and had lunch at my favorite sandwich shop in the city. I figured if I stayed away from everyone, I would be able to clear my head and find the answers I was looking for."

Reyna felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes, "Did you get the answer."

Arthur sighed, "Yeah, I did."

Reyna felt like a spring coiled so tight it was ready to snap. Was he drawing this out on purpose? Was this some sort of punishment that he and Lady Diana had worked out together? She could not take it anymore. She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

"What did you come up with?"

Arthur was oblivious to the mental turmoil Reyna was going through in that moment. He had turned back to the cooking meat to check it and turn it. He did not want to serve burnt food to his new trainees. When he felt Reyna's hand on his shoulder, he turned back around.

"I love you too, Reyna."

Reyna looked down, "I understand. I hope we can still be friends...wait."

Reyna looked at Arthur and saw him giving her a soft smile. She felt her heart beat start to race even faster. Had he said what she hoped he'd say?

"Reyna, you okay?" Arthur asked.

"Say it again," Reyna whispered.

"What?"

Reyna smiled at him, "Please, tell me your answer again."

Arthur had a wolfish grin on his face as he said, "I love you, Reyna."

Reyna jumped into Arthur's lap, "I had hoped that you would say that."

She wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his shoulders as the tears that had started to form began to fall down her cheeks. Arthur wrapped his arms tightly around Reyna as she leaned into the shoulder of his leather armor. Arthur rubbed his hand across her back slowly.

Reyna lifted her head and looked at Arthur, "I love you too."

Arthur felt as if a wolf inside him was howling. He felt so good now that they had said it to each other. He leaned forward and kissed Reyna's lips with urgency. The feeling was amazing. The wolf inside him was now dancing with joy as he felt the sensation of Reyna's lips against his for the first time in many months. Her rainstorm scent was intoxicating and Arthur felt the need for more as he deepened the kiss between them.

Reyna was in Elysium. Arthur's strong earthy scent filled her nose and her mind was mush from him saying he loved her. This was what she had hoped their reunion would have been like a week ago. Instead it was plagued with magic messing things up. She ran one hand over his head and through his short hair, the other stayed on his chest. As Arthur deepened the kiss, Reyna's hands moved to either side of his head and she moved her fingers through his thick beard. She had not liked it at first, but now she felt it gave him a more wild look. She might convince him to cut it some though.

"I hope we aren't interrupting anything," A voice called out.

Reyna and Arthur quickly separated as they saw the archers smirking at them and what they were doing. A couple of the archers whistled at Reyna and Arthur. Reyna got off of Arthur's lap and looked embarrassed. Arthur resumed his cooking.

"If you guys could not mention that when we get back that would be great," Arthur said.

Reyna looked at Arthur, "Are you embarrassed of me?"

Arthur shook his head, "I was not sure if you wanted people to know."

The archers laughed at his comment. When he looked at the group rather confused Kyle spoke up, "The entire Legion knows you two like each other. We've honestly been waiting for something like this for a long time. However, we were not sure if you would end up kissing each other or killing each other."

Arthur chuckled at their comment, "I guess we have been tiptoeing around this for too long haven't we."

Reyna kissed Arthur on the cheek and stood up, "Well now that your team knows about us, I think it's time we ate. Hurry up and finish cooking, we are hungry."

Arthur could not help but enjoy the teasing she gave him. He was glad he had decided to give love a shot. He hoped that he would finally feel like he belonged somewhere outside of the Hunt. He finished prepping the meat and started handing the skewers out to everyone.

Looking at Reyna he rolled his eyes and simply said, "Yes, dear."

 **A little longer chapter to hopefully make up for the wait. I apologize again for the extra long wait for it guys. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you thought.**


	20. Chapter 20

**So it has been a while since I last posted a chapter. I apologize to all of you who have been reading the story for the lack of update. I had gotten discouraged from writing and almost just quit completely. Thankfully, a friend of mine encouraged me to keep writing the other day. Now I am back to my writing and am enjoying it again. I want to thank all of the followers, favorites, and reviewers. Those who have been with this story from the beginning and those who have just recently started reading it. You guys are awesome and are a great encouragement. So enough from me, you guys are here for the next chapter of The Venator.**

The next morning Arthur woke up with a sore neck. He had slept in the tree like he said he would, even though Reyna offered him space in the tent she was using. He did not want to rush things with his relationship with her and he knew the archers would talk if they shared a tent. Quickly dropping from his perch, Arthur stretched and rubbed his neck to ease the tension. He wanted to fix it quickly before Reyna came out and gave him her 'I told you so' look.

The archers had been very accepting of the relationship between Arthur and Reyna. They said they were glad to see both of them find someone who cared for them. Kyle mentioned how he now owed Angela money for a bet the two of them had though. Arthur laughed knowing that his best friend in the Legion had bet on his love life.

Arthur checked the wound from his silver throwing knife which, for some unexplainable reason, was not healing properly. He had nicked his hand before and it usually healed quickly. He had not thought the cut was a deep as it seemed to be. Artemis was going to be pissed with him. As he poured a little nectar on it and reached in his pack for a new bandage, Reyna stepped out of her tent.

"Is it still bleeding?" She asked. When she saw what her boyfriend was doing she quickly jogged over to him.

Arthur knew better than to hide it from her. Plus, he liked the fact that she was worried about him. No one had truly worried about him since he left the Hunt all those years ago. He nodded and showed her how it looked.

Reyna gasped when she saw the depth of the cut, "We need to stitch that up, or it could get infected!"

Arthur shook his head, "I'll be fine. Natural healing has not failed me yet."

Reyna groaned, "You moron, how do you think they healed that giant hole in your chest?"

Arthur winced at the memory. He had done everything to save Reyna's life, including almost giving his. He had almost burnt his body up using the Curse of Mithras, and then that spear packed a serious punch. He looked up at Reyna.

"Do you know how to stitch up a wound Rey?"

Reyna nodded, "I'll go get my kit. Put some pressure on it for now."

Arthur nodded and did what she said. As he held his hand with gauze, the archers began to wake up. They walked out and made their way to the fire ring where Arthur was sitting. All of them looked exhausted, but eager to start their training.

"Morning, you lazy excuse for hunters," Arthur said, "Today's training begins with you showing me what you can do. Your first task is to hunt for breakfast."

"What if we have never hunted before?" Andre asked. Several of the others nodded in agreement to his question.

"Then you'll learn quick. You have three hours to hunt something for breakfast, kill it, and bring it back here. Your time starts now," Arthur said.

The archers looked at each other with wide eyes and quickly dispersed into the woods. Reyna had returned with her first aid kit by this point and heard the archers' task. She looked over at Arthur who was watching the woods intently.

"Wasn't that a little harsh for their first task?" Reyna asked him as she sterilized the needle and thread.

Arthur shook his head, "No. It gives me an idea of what I'm truly working with."

Arthur winced as Reyna removed the gauze and inspected the wound. She gently pushed the needle through his skin and tried to sew up the wound as best she could. It did not help when her patient would jerk away.

"Did you have to go on your first hunt with no skill at all?"

"No," Arthur replied, "I had to go by myself with only what I could carry and bring enough back for all my sisters. OUCH WOMAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME!"

Arthur yelled the last part when Reyna pulled her thread tight to help seal the wound. She punched Arthur in the arm in response to his yelling.

"Don't yell at me like that, especially when I'm trying to help you. You big baby," Reyna teased.

Arthur grumbled the rest of the time as he watched the woods. He was able to see through the woods and find each archer and their attempt at hunting. All of them were looking for meat of some kind. Arthur smirked, there were several berry bushes nearby that they could have used. That would have counted as hunting since they had to search for the berries.

"This is going to take forever and we won't get to eat," Arthur groaned. The archers had plenty of skill to hit things, they just could not stalk to save their lives.

Reyna huffed, "Fine, I will be right back."

Arthur look at her quizzically as she kissed him and slowly walked towards the woods. She had a bow and a spear on her back and looked determined. Arthur kept one eye on her as she quietly stalked into the woods in search of prey.

Arthur glanced down at his hand to see what she had done with it. He was impressed by the bandage she had wrapped and how it no longer stung. Arthur decided he would ask her what she used and see about adding it to his first aid supplies.

The time limit was almost complete and several of the archers had given up. They were now sitting around the fire pit with nothing to eat. Most were groaning from injuries. For some reason the twins had decided to try and tackle a full grown buck. That ended with an antler in not nice places for both of them. While they applied nectar to their wounds the others just grumbled about falling from trees or general hunger.

Arthur could not believe that not a single one had managed to catch anything to eat, whether it be plant or animal. There were still four archers and Reyna out in the field though. Maybe they would have some success.

Suddenly, a loud voice yelled out, "Hey, that was mine!"

Arthur looked behind him where the voice came from. He focused his eyes into the woods to help find his prey. He saw Kyle standing on a large tree branch, about ten feet in the air. His stance showed that he had just fired an arrow. As Arthur followed the line from the bow to where the arrow should have gone, he saw a deer with a spear through its neck lying on the ground, while Kyle's arrow was imbedded in the dirt.

Arthur smirked, "Well boys, you won't have to go hungry. Reyna just proved my mother right."

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked.

Arthur looked at him, "Reyna beat all of you and got a deer."

Cyrus looked puzzled, "How does that prove your mom right though?'

Arthur rolled his eyes, "My mother is Lady Artemis, the Greek form of Lady Diana, and she claims that the only good male hunter on this planet is me. All others should quit and leave hunting to girls."

Many objections about this being their first time came from the archers. Arthur just waved them off and enjoyed his joke. Reyna drug her deer to the camp as Arthur called all of the archers back to him. He was going to begin their lessons now that he had seen their hunting skills.

"Now, many of you were wondering how we were going to eat if we did not have food. Well gentleman, I present to you, food," Arthur motioned to the deer lying on the ground as he spoke.

"Do we just eat it like it is?" Richard asked.

Cyrus smacked him in the head, "No dummy we cook it."

Arthur looked at Cyrus, "How do you cook it then Cyrus?"

The demigod shrugged and answered, "Build a fire under it and cook it."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at the boys' comment, "Yes, if you wish to overcook the meat, ruin the pelt, and lose over half of this animal's usefulness you will build a fire under it. First, you have to clean and prep the meat, that way nothing is wasted. Now I want each of you to pay close attention to what I teach you. You will each demonstrate to me how this is done by the end of the week."

Arthur then showed the archers how to correctly gut, skin, and clean the deer carcass. Some of the younger boys grew squeamish, and one even vomited. The older boys thought it was cool and wanted to go ahead and try their hand at it. Arthur refused of course. He did not want them to butcher the meat.

After he had cut the meat and started cooking some, Arthur told some of the archers to go and collect some berries so they would be eating more than just meat. He was going to have to show them how to find wild vegetables or at least plants that were edible. While the meat cooked and the archers gathered berries, Arthur prepared the deer skin to be tanned into leather. Through practice, Arthur had become quite skilled with skinning and tanning leathers.

"What are you going to do with that?" Reyna asked.

Arthur looked at her with a grin, "You'll see."

Reyna groaned and started complaining about how she hated secrets. Arthur just laughed at his girlfriend's antics and continued with his work. By the end of everything, he knew she would like what he made.

By the end of the week, the archers were worn out. Arthur had put them through their paces and assessed their abilities. He knew that when they returned to New Rome they would have to start taking classes to recognize plants that are edible, as well as how to build a shelter. Arthur was shocked by how little they had known, even with their Legion training. He sighed as he watched the archers pack up their gear. It was going to be a long walk back, but Arthur could tell they had all improved since the beginning of the week. That was something they should be proud of.

Arthur let his eyes wander across the camp as he waited. He hoped that the archers would be able to move and travel with only the bare essentials within no time. He hated all this time it took them to take down camp. He expected his archers to have the same efficiency as his mother's Hunters. As he mentally prepared for the future training he was going to give the archers, his eyes finally caught sight of the person he was searching for.

Reyna was walking around checking her Legionnaires as they packed their gear. Arthur had been quite impressed with her skills and wondered how she had learned them. His thoughts started to stray to the tattoo he had caught a glimpse of the other night. Reyna had insisted that Arthur at least sleep on a cot one night to give his back some rest from sleeping, in armor, sitting up in a tree. Arthur begrudgingly agreed and they set up a cot in his tent. Of course, Arthur insisted it be on the farthest side of the tent away from her, so no impressions were given.

Arthur was not sure how his mother would feel with him sharing a tent with a girl. That was potentially dangerous ground and could make her angry. However, if she found out, Arthur had some questions for her as well.

During the night, Reyna had rolled over in a way, that the blanket she used uncovered her left shoulder. She had made some noises as if she were talking in her sleep, which grabbed Arthur's attention. He had trained himself to wake at the first sound of distress if needed, that way it was harder to surprise him. When he looked up from his cot, he saw a wolf tattoo on her left shoulder. It was a tattoo which Arthur had only seen once before in his life. It was a mark Artemis used as punishments.

The mark was cursed to burn whenever the person with it went against the curse Artemis placed. There was usually a way to end the curse, but why was it on Reyna? Arthur wanted to ask her if that was why she grabbed at her shoulder in New Rome, but he did not want the others to hear him ask her.

Reyna turned to see Arthur staring at her with a concerned look. She smiled at him and started walking towards him. She was glad they were able to quickly get back together and get on track with their relationship. She was a little worried what the other officers would say when they returned to New Rome, but she knew they could handle it. Reyna shifted her shoulders a little, as the tattoo's dull burn itched at her back. Ever since Arthur kissed her, the tattoo had felt like a bad sunburn in that one spot on her back. She figured that Artemis was not happy with her son's decision, and this was how she was expressing it. If it meant being with Arthur though, Reyna knew she could live with it.

"What's got you thinking so hard?" Reyna asked Arthur, "Did a squirrel run by? Wolf Face, do you want to go chase it?"

Arthur smirked, "Ha ha. Remember my wolfish features are attractive to you. Making fun of them is making fun of yourself."

Reyna rolled her eyes, "You have long canines and sharper senses. That doesn't make you part wolf. It just makes you more of a dog."

She emphasized the word dog to tease Arthur. The archers had shared that someone came up with the idea of calling Arthur the Wolf of the Hunt. He thought it was a great nickname for him of course. Reyna just laughed as she remembered calling him Wolf Face when they were younger.

Arthur leered at Reyna as he stood up. He was not much taller than her so height-wise it was not imposing. However, his broad, muscled, tattooed shoulders were rather intimidating. Reyna felt her knees get a little weak, and it was not from fear. She would never have guessed that she would be this attracted to a man who broke Legion tradition by covering himself in tattoos.

Arthur leaned forward and stopped his face about an inch away from Reyna's. She felt her face heat up as silence engulfed the two of them. Arthur's leer continued as he uttered a deep growl from his throat. Reyna jump at the animalistic sound that her boyfriend had made. Arthur chuckled and kissed her. When he pulled away, Reyna smacked his chest.

"You know I hate when you do that," Reyna chastised him.

Arthur simply grinned, "Yea, I know."

Reyna growled back in response. Arthur backed down and apologized quickly. Reyna realized that her growl had sounded similar to Arthur's. It also had an animalistic sound to it. Reyna's face reddened with embarrassment as she turned away. She could not believe she had just done that.

Arthur cleared his throat and called out to the archers, "Alright men. Let's get moving. We want to be back in New Rome in time to clean up and eat dinner right?"

Kevin smirked, "You just want to spend some alone time with your girlfriend don't you?"

The other's laughed, expecting Arthur to be embarrassed and blushing like Reyna was. Arthur had to admit, the reddish tint to her latina skin was quite attractive. He wanted to make her blush more often. Instead, they noticed that Arthur stood stoically and was eyeing each of them in turn.

"So what if I do?" Arthur asked. There was an underlying threat in the tone he asked them.

"I think they're just jealous of you, Venator," Richard said. He and Arthur had gotten very close over the week. Arthur had taught him more spells and how to use runes as a part of his spells.

Arthur laughed, "Well don't worry men. With the training regimen I'm giving you, your physique will become like mine. Then you will be beating girls away with a stick."

Everyone, including Reyna, chuckled at that. They had all heard some of the girls in the Legion comment about how Arthur looked at some point. If he had not been adopted by Artemis and been considered an abomination, Arthur would have been the most eligible bachelor in the Legion, not that he would have acted on it.

"Who knows, maybe I could get one of those sexy Hunters to give up their eternal vow," Zach commented.

Everything grew very quiet and still. Nothing in the woods seemed to move, and all the archers were afraid of how tense their leader had just gotten. Reyna looked into Arthur's face and tried to get him to calm down, but it was too late. Wolves in the area began to howl as a silver aura engulfed Arthur. He turned to look straight at Zach, causing the archers to recoil. His eyes seemed to burn with a silver fire. Reyna recognized what was going on. He was using the Curse.

"You will not touch them," Arthur said in a monotone voice that dripped with power, "If this group works out, they will become like sisters to you. Your duty, in addition to serving the Legion, will be to protect them if we are together. Have we reached an understanding?"

The archers nodded. Zach's eyes were wide with fear as he tried to explain that it was a joke. Arthur continued to glare with his silver eyes before commanding them to move out and make for Camp Jupiter. The archers took off and made their way back towards, Arthur and Reyna following a good distance behind.

"Are you ok?" Reyna asked.

Arthur was silent. He did not want to say anything and scare her away from him. This was one reason why he was scared to date her. He did not want his curse to interfere and cause problems.

"Hey, Arthur," Reyna said, pulling his attention to her, "You need to talk to me."

Arthur sighed, "I'll be fine."

His voice still carried the harshness that came whenever he activated the Curse of Mithras. That did not deter Reyna though.

"You know, when it comes to me you're a terrible liar."

Arthur looked at her, the silver glow still filling his eyes, "I do not want to hurt you Reyna. I have control of this curse, but accidents happen."

Reyna put her hand on his face and turned it towards her, "Then I guess we will have to work together to make sure an accident doesn't happen."

Arthur smiled and kissed her. Maybe this would work out after all, he thought.

After a long day of traveling, the team had returned to Camp Jupiter. Reyna made her way to the Praetor's office to write up a report about the training she witnessed. All in all, it was a good program and could continue as long as it was needed. Arthur sent the archers back to their barracks with the order to clean up and report to their centurions. If asked they were to only divulge certain parts of their training. Arthur wanted to keep most of it a secret. Arthur made his way to his mother's temple.

One of the things he had done during his last stay in Camp Jupiter was set up a small living quarters inside the temple to Diana. It was nothing fancy, but it was somewhere he could sleep away from anyone who did not like him or wanted to hurt him. After storing his gear Arthur offered a prayer to his mother, thanking her for all she taught him. Arthur then made his way to the bath house to clean himself up. After all, the boyfriend of the praetor should not look like a mess all of the time.

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thanks again for reading. Next chapter is in the works.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Wow it has been a while since I posted a chapter. Sorry for being absent everyone. I got into a real funk over the summer and honestly thought about giving up on my writings completely. I picked the stories back up though over the last couple of days. I'm hoping to be back into my rhythm with writing soon. I would like to say thanks to all of you who have not given up on the story yet, the constant reviews about updates really helped give me a reason to pick my writing back up. You guys are awesome, now enough from me. Here is the next chapter of The Venator.**

Fall drew to a close and winter was getting started. December had arrived faster than anyone had expected. Both Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood decided that they would get together at Camp Half-Blood for the week of Christmas and New Year's, this year. Everyone was excited to see their friends from the other camp. Reyna was sitting in her office finalizing some paperwork for when they would be gone. Reyna had called up the reserve cohort, a cohort made up of retired legionnaires who agreed to step up when the main Legion was gone. Their job was to keep an eye on things and contact the praetors if something threatened New Rome.

A gust of wind blew through her slightly opened window, causing Reyna to pull her jacket tighter around her. She inhaled the forest scent that was ingrained into the jacket from how much Arthur had worn it. It was his Hunt jacket that he gave her that morning when he returned, she just never gave it back. Why should she, he was her boyfriend after all.

Many in the Legion had not been too happy with the news that the venator and she were dating. When they had returned from the archers first training week, Arthur had offered to keep their relationship private if Reyna had wanted. That lasted for a grand total of one day. Reyna decided that she did not care what others thought about them, especially when they kissed in public. It was her life and if the legionnaires did not like it, they could get over it. If they complained, Reyna could always punish them.

Thinking of punishments, Reyna rubbed her shoulder. The tattoo that Artemis had placed on her was still there, but had not burned since she and Arthur had started dating. In fact, Artemis had not shown up to give her any chores lately either. Reyna hoped that Artemis had forgiven her, especially since she and Arthur were now a couple. A shadow passed in front of the window to her office and she realized that she had thought his name too many times.

"My Praetor," Arthur said as he climbed into her office through her window.

Reyna spun her chair around glaring at Arthur, "How many times do I have to tell you that you don't need to always be so formal with me. Especially when we are alone."

Arthur's lips turned up in a playful grin, "At least once more."

Reyna sighed as she stood up and walked over to her boyfriend. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly on his lips, his outdoor scent filling her nose. She felt Arthur's arms wrap around her shoulders and immediately felt safe.

"What have you been working so hard on?" Arthur asked.

Reyna turned around to sift through the papers on her desk, "Our holiday plans with the Greeks."

Arthur had kept his arms around Reyna as she turned, wrapping them a little tighter to hold her closer. Reyna leaned her head against his arms, causing Arthur to chuckle lightly. He had realized early on in their relationship that Reyna was going to use him as a pillow whenever she wanted.

"You've come a long way since you were my little rookie," Arthur commented.

Reyna smacked his forehead, "I told you I hate it when you call me that."

Arthur shrugged as he let her go, "I know, but you look cute when you get frustrated."

Reyna pushed some loose strands of her hair behind her ear, and fixed Arthur with a glare. She had taken to wearing her hair shorter and loose lately. I had gotten cut in the war games a month ago, and Arthur had mentioned that it looked good on her. Since then, Reyna does not braid her hair in a single braid down her back, and she keeps it just a little longer than her shoulders.

"Well it's your lucky day then. If you keep calling me your little rookie then I'm gonna look better than Venus, because it is pissing me off," Reyna had a dangerous edge to her voice.

Arthur knew when he had overstepped his bounds. He bowed at his waist and muttered his apologies. Reyna sighed as she sat back in her seat. Arthur inhaled deeply to determine what kind of scent she was giving off.

"You seem more nervous than usual Rey, why?" Arthur asked. He took a seat on the window ledge, watching Reyna rub her temples in frustration.

Reyna met Arthur's gaze, "Have you heard anything from Lady Diana about me?"

Arthur's features hardened, "Why do you ask?"

"She has not appeared to me with more tasks to prove myself to her, and I'm getting worried that either she does not like me, or that the next task is going to be too difficult for me to do," Reyna said quietly.

Arthur's eyes began to glow a familiar silver. Reyna knew he was upset about something and that he was trying to control it. She quickly stood and made her way to him, sitting on his lap.

"My mother should never have done that to you," Arthur told her, "That mark she placed on you, she had swore to not use it unless absolutely necessary. I had a long talk with her when I discovered that mark on you. She will apologize at Camp Half-Blood while we are there."

Reyna's mouth fell open when she heard that Arthur knew about the mark. She had been so careful to hide it from him, that was one of Diana's rules. Reyna realized that it must have been very difficult for Arthur, to choose her well-being over his mother's rules like that. That must have been an affect of being raised Greek. She leaned up and placed a passionate kiss on Arthur's lips.

"Thank you," Reyna said, "You did not have to do that."

Arthur shook his head, "Yes I did. Mom claimed to be protecting me by placing it on you. After I spoke with her she ended the curse and agreed to remove the tattoo when she apologizes."

"NO!" Reyna cried out.

Arthur looked at her in shock and surprise.

"I don't want to lose the tattoo," Reyna mumbled.

Arthur's confusion grew, "Why not?"

Reyna smirked, "I like it. It lets me feel more connected with you, seeing as how Diana put it on me because of how I treated you."

Arthur smirked, "You did hurt my feelings when you were upset with me."

Reyna rolled her eyes before kissing him on the cheek, "Better?"

Arthur captured her lips with a deep kiss of his own. When he pulled away he grinned down at Reyna, "Much."

Reyna sighed as she allowed herself to collapse into Arthur's embrace. She hoped she could get to the forge tonight to finish his gift that she was making for him. It had taken some time, but she managed to get Arthur to tell her when his birthday was. She was a little disappointed that it was so close to Christmas. That meant that it would be harder to get him a gift for both holidays.

Arthur placed a kiss on her head before saying, "Rey, I've got to go now. I need to run the archers through some drills so they are not hopelessly embarrassed by my sisters at Camp Half-Blood."

"I hope they are not upset with me," Reyna muttered as she stood up from Arthur's lap. She made her way to her desk and leafed through the paperwork to find the forms she needed.

Arthur chuckled, "Don't worry. They are more likely to embarrass me than to be angry with you. Especially since I straightened everything out with my mother."

With that Arthur lept out the window and onto the roof of a nearby building as he made his way to the archery ranges. Reyna could not stop the smile that started to form on her face as she watched her boyfriend make his way across New Rome in the most unconventional of ways. A knock at her office door drew her attention.

"Enter," Reyna commanded.

In through the door walked one of the newer Senators New Rome had. The man's name was Silas, and beyond that, Reyna did not know much about him. He always wore long sleeve to cover his arm so she could not instantly know how long he had served in the Legion or who his parent was. However, to have gained the respect that he seemed to command, he must have been one of the many names Reyna never learned. She hated that she did not know each member of the Legion, but there were so many soldiers that it was difficult to remember each and every one of them.

"Praetor," Silas said, bowing slightly as he entered.

Reyna held back a groan. If the Senate was sending someone that could only mean more paperwork and bad news.

"What can I do to aid the Senate today?" Reyna asked.

Silas rubbed the back of his hand nervously, Reyna noticed the folder he carried.

"It's more of how we can help you Reyna. You asked us before to have some children of Trivia look into the dark magics that seemed to be affecting New Rome's citizens, yourself included. Well, they have finished their search of all of New Rome to determine where the dark magics originated from."

Reyna's eyes opened a little wider. Now she would finally have answers as to why she had gotten so angry with Arthur when he had first returned. Whoever the culprit was, they would surely pay for their transgressions. What Lady Diana did to her was nothing compared to what Reyna would do to the one that had messed with her mind and emotions.

Reyna grabbed the folder and opened it quickly. What she saw nearly shattered her where she sat. Her face lost all color and and she glanced up at Silas warily, "Who all knows of these findings?"

Silas gulped, "Unfortunately, the Senate's records are open for everyone. That way they can determine if something illegal or shady was occurring."

Reyna shook her head in disbelief, "We need to keep this as quiet as possible. Until it can be proven beyond the shadow of a doubt. If this information were to get out and the entire Legion knew, there would be no saving him."

Silas nodded, "I agree, which is why the only copy of the records has yet to be released and the investigators sworn to secrecy until I received commands from you."

"Someone is setting him up, I just know it. He is a loyal servant of Rome," Reyna said.

Silas coughed, "I think it would be more accurate to say he is **your** loyal servant, my Praetor."

Reyna closed her eyes so she would not have to look at the folder on her desk. Staring up at her were the results of the search the children of Trivia had done. According to them, the only source of dark magic anywhere near New Rome and Camp Jupiter that was strong enough to control someone came from one source. Accompanying the file was a picture of the culprit. Reyna still could not believe it. The picture showed the face of her boyfriend. They believed Arthur was using dark magics against Rome!

 **Sorry for how bad it was. I needed a transition for what will happen next. I'm also sorry for the ending. Don't worry though the next chapter is well under way and should be up soon. Thanks again to all the readers, favorites, reviews for all the support you guys have given me. I do enjoy writing and find it to be an escape from stress, even if my writing is not that good. I do plan to write this story until its conclusion, so don't worry if there is ever a period of time without an update. See y'all next chapter.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey guys. Here is the next chapter for y'all. Thanks for the reviews and everything, you guys are amazing.**

Half-Blood Hill was finally in sight. After traveling for three days across country, Arthur was sick of being stuck inside of a bus. He could have made the trip in less time, but Reyna insisted he ride the buses with the rest of the Legion. Arthur did not really complain when Reyna was leaned up against him with her blanket sleeping. He looked across the bus and noticed Angela smirking at him. Arthur just rolled his eyes and looked back out the window.

Snow covered the ground all around the camp as the Romans got off their buses. The Legion made their way up the hill to the magical border of the camp which all the demigods had agreed to spend their winter vacation. As they passed through the magical border several Romans jumped as Peleus snored rather loudly. Unfortunately, the Stoll brothers were nearby and saw it happen.

"Look at the tough Romans, scared by a sleeping dragon," the brothers called out as they doubled over laughing.

A quick glance told Arthur the Hunt was already at camp. He whistled and short, shrill whistle and waited. Suddenly, Conner and Travis were pinned to the ground by two mostly grown wolves as one more emerged near Arthur. The Stolls shrieked like middle school girls watching their first scary movie.

"Aww," Arthur said, "Look at the Greeks, scared of some overgrown puppies."

The wolf who had pinned Travis look up at Arthur, locking her deep blue eyes with his, and growled a little. The larger of the three, who was standing next to Arthur, nipped at his hand for the comment. Arthur glared at him.

"Sapphire? Is that you?" Reyna asked as she moved cautiously towards the blue eyed wolf. Sapphire's head immediately turned towards Reyna as her tail began to wag.

"You've gotten so big," Reyna cooed.

Sapphire barked happily and bounded towards Reyna, knocking her down. The wolf then began to lick Reyna's face causing her to giggle. The Legion looked on in confusion at their praetor, at least until a conch horn sounded. All the Romans knew that was the signal for meal time. Frank led the Legion down to the dining pavilion to grab some eats and figure out the sleeping arrangements.

Arthur whistled for the wolves to line up in front of him. As Alpha formed up the pack, Arthur helped Reyna to her feet. When they turned to see the wolves, they were shocked. Six wolf pups were sitting in front of Maggie and Sapphire.

"Alpha, how do you already have six pups?" Arthur wondered aloud.

Reyna rushed forward to pet them and their mothers, "They're adorable."

Arthur shook his head, "It doesn't matter how tough a girl is, show them cute puppies and they go crazy."

Reyna stuck her tongue out at Arthur and resumed her inspection of the pups. Arthur gave them a once over as well. All the wolves seemed healthy and strong. Their coats were full for the winter months as well. Arthur focused on Alpha for a moment.

"How's the Hunt?" He asked the wolf.

Alpha barked in reply.

"Are they spilling you all?"

The wolf would not meet Arthur's gaze, and whined a little.

Arthur sighed, "I don't blame you. I figured they would do something like that."

Alpha barked again.

Arthur nodded, "Yea let's go eat so I can see everyone."

Alpha barked toward the pack that quickly made their way towards the dining pavilion. He glanced at Reyna for a second before sending a wolfish grin toward Arthur. Arthur could easily tell the wolf was thinking Reyna was his mate.

"Get going fuzzball," Arthur said, kicking Alpha softly in his hind leg.

Alpha whined a little before catching up with his pups. Arthur started to follow when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned to see Reyna glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"We're you just going to leave me here alone Wolf Face?"

Arthur shrugged apologetically, "Sorry Rey. I just hadn't seen them in forever. I was a little excited."

Reyna stepped towards him with her arms crossed now, "So excited that you forgot the best thing in your life?"

Arthur never felt more scared than he did in that moment. He realized that he had to answer correctly, or his girlfriend would show him just why she is called the Queen of Rome. Thinking quickly Arthur smiled, letting his long canines show through.

"Of course not beautiful. I could never forget about you," Arthur said as he put his arm around her.

Reyna tried to stay angry, but failed miserably. She punched Arthur in the gut while replying, "It's not fair when you give me that smile."

Arthur groaned using his other hand to rub where she punched, "Trust me Rey, I gotta use everything I got."

Reyna just smiled and kissed her boyfriend, "Come on Dog Breath, I've been nervous about seeing your family again for the whole trip. Let's get it done."

The couple made their way to the dining pavilion to join everyone for breakfast. Arthur pulled Reyna to the Hunt's table while his sisters made their offerings to the gods. Arthur made sure to sit in Thalia's seat to get on her nerves. Alpha walked over and put his head on Arthur's lap, while Sapphire did the same to Reyna.

"Look girls, a stray mutt is sitting at our table," Thalia called when she saw Arthur, "Leia, what did your praetor drag in with her?"

Leia shrugged, "I'm not sure, but I saw her kiss it earlier. Maybe it's a pet?"

The Hunters laughed at Arthur's outraged face. Sarah was laughing the hardest as the group walked up to them. She set her plate down and hugged Arthur.

"We missed you big brother," she said as she hugged Arthur.

Arthur returned her hug, "I missed you guys too. I see you've been spoiling the wolves I raised."

The Hunters looked around sheepishly. Thalia spoke up for the group, "They are cute though. We can't help it when they give us their puppy dog eyes. Plus have you seen their pups?"

Thalia picked one up that had been nudging her leg, and placed it on the table. It yawned and laid down next to her plate where he could reach her bacon strips.

"This one's name is thunder," she cooed.

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Mother told me to raise wolves to aid the Hunt, and they treat them like pets."

Arthur made a plate for himself and Reyna and brought it back to the table. Reyna had started talking with the former Legionnaires that were now in the Hunt. They were discussing the Archers that Arthur had trained and how there should be a three way competition between the Hunt, the Archers, and the Greek Apollo campers. The Hunt all grinned evilly at this. As Arthur sat down, Sarah asked him the question he was dreading a little bit.

"Big brother, why is Ms. Reyna sitting with us?"

Arthur choked on the eggs he was eating. Reyna was able to stay more composed, but was obviously unnerved by being called Ms. Reyna. Reyna patted Arthur on the back as he drank some water. After a moment, to make sure he was okay, Arthur answered.

"Well Sarah, you see, she is my...girlfriend."

All the Hunt laughed at the embarrassed look on Arthur's face as it turned more and more red. Sarah, however, got right in Reyna's face.

"Do you love my brother?" She asked.

The Hunt stopped laughing and leaned in. Several others from nearby tables were leaning in to hear her answer as well. Reyna felt unnerved by all the attention she was getting, but her Roman pride would not let her back down from a challenge.

Reyna answered Sarah, "Yes. I am."

The Hunt all let out a group 'awe' as Arthur put his arm around Reyna and kissed her cheek. Sarah beamed at the two, glad that her brother was finally happy and seemed more complete.

"Good, it's his birthday today and I want him to be happy," Sarah said.

Reyna leaned over towards Sarah and in a stage whisper said, "I do too."

Arthur just shook his head at the antics of his sister and girlfriend. He had honestly hoped that they could have avoided his birthday altogether. Something felt off in the air, he could smell it.

"Happy Birthday Arthur," Percy and Annabeth said together as they approached the Hunt's table.

Arthur turned and smiled at them, "Thanks guys. How's your nightmare problem?"

Annabeth shrugged, "Mostly gone, Chiron let me move into the Poseidon Cabin with Percy. It seems that when we are together the nightmares affect us less."

"Well I'm glad something is working for you two. I know what it is like to be tormented by dark visions. Before I gained a handle on the Curse of Mithras, my dreams were unbearable," Arthur said the last part softly so no other Romans would overhear. Only a few knew the truth and he honestly wanted to keep it that way.

"I'm sure," Annabeth said, "Well we have to go teach some classes. Stop by later and we can talk more. Plus, we have our Greeks vs. Romans game of Capture the Flag tomorrow. Who's side will you be on, Arthur?"

Reyna cleared her throat, "I think he will want to fight with his girlfriend, right?"

Sarah jumped into the conversation at this point, "No way! He's going to fight beside us. Right big brother?"

Arthur looked back and forth between the two girls, obviously unsure of what to do. Annabeth snickered at his predicament, before walking off with Percy. Percy's shoulders were shaking because as he tried to hold back his own laughter.

"Hey, look at that!" Arthur yelled as he pointed behind them. The two girls looked and Arthur took off running, all the wolves but Sapphire and her pups in tow. Sapphire continued to sit by Reyna with her pups and shook her head at her former master.

Reyna chuckled as she scratched one of Sapphire's pups behind the ears, "It is so much fun to mess with him."

One of the other hunter's chimed in, "Especially now that he has a girlfriend that helps out."

Reyna smiled at the Hunt, "Does this mean you all do not hate me?"

Thalia took Arthur's spot and wrapped her arms around Reyna, "I'll be honest Rey, we were not sure what to think. Our lady was upset about things when he returned to Rome after you blew up at him. We were too. However, the day he returned to the Hunt and yelled at Lady Artemis about something concerning you, we all realized that he truly cared about you."

Reyna looked down at her lap and the pup sitting in it, "I'm sorry to have caused you all so much trouble. I hope the penance Artemis tasked me with helped you all out."

"What do you mean?" one of the Roman Hunters asked. She did not understand why the Praetor of the Legion would be serving penance towards them.

"To make up for how I treated Arthur, Lady Diana sent me arrows and knives to sharpen, bowstrings to mend, and even beasts to skin," Reyna told them.

All of the Hunters' mouths fell open at this. They could not believe that their chores had been done by one of the Legion's leaders. Artemis had told them they did not have to worry about them for a time, but said nothing else about it.

"Reyna, you need to speak with Lady Artemis right away," Thalia said.

Reyna paled a little, "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

Thalia shook her head, "No, she did."

Thalia grabbed Reyna's arm and drug her across the camp. Lady Artemis was inspecting a group of Roman males who claimed to have been trained by Arthur. The look on her face showed she was impressed with their skills. They proved to be a step above her nieces and nephews, but still below her Hunt as far as their archery skill went.

"My Lady!" Thalia shouted out angrily.

Artemis turned, anger in her eyes, "Thalia Grace! How many times must I…"

Artemis's voice trailed off as she saw who Thalia was dragging. When Reyna locked eyes with Artemis, Reyna pulled her hand from Thalia's grasp and dropped to her knee. Artemis could not believe the young praetor still showed her such respect. Artemis made her way to Reyna, waving off Thalia in the process.

"Rise, Reyna," Artemis said.

Reyna stood and with a steely eyed gaze, stared straight into Artemis's eyes. Reyna could not help but think about how similar they were to Arthur's. They held her in a trance as if she were being hunted by the owner of the eyes. Whenever Arthur gazed at her like that she felt herself turn to jelly, and she loved every minute of it. Now, however, she was scared.

"Do not be afraid Reyna. I am not angry with you," Artemis said.

Reyna breathed a sigh of relief.

Artemis smiled and continued, "I am actually glad to see my son bonding so well with someone. I apologize for the way I have treated you recently."

Reyna could not believe her ears, an Olympian was apologizing to her. She quickly tried to stop Artemis from saying any more.

"Lady Diana, please. You do not need to apologize to me. I was wrong for how I treated Arthur and how jealous I was. The punishment I received I deserved."

Artemis put her hand on Reyna's shoulder, "Reyna, please. It is not often when a god admits they were in the wrong. I am happy to see that my son picked such a strong willed woman. That means you will keep him in line and will never stray from him as long as your relationship lasts."

Reyna felt a blush cover her face. It was awkward talking to her boyfriend's mom about this. Artemis chuckled at her reaction.

"Thank you, my Lady," Reyna finally said.

Artemis gave Reyna a serious look. When Reyna saw it she could not help but feel sadness radiating from the goddess. Thalia seemed to pick up on it as well as she moved from her perch away from the conversation.

"My Lady?" Thalia asked, "Are you okay?"

Artemis shook her head and waved her lieutenant off, but Thalia and Reyna both saw the tears in her eyes. Thalia rushed forward to Artemis.

"Lady Artemis, what is it?" she demanded.

Artemis looked at the two demigods, "You both know today is the solstice and the day which Arthur celebrates his birthday."

Both demigods nodded and waited for Artemis to continue.

"The council has made a decision, one I do not agree with at all. I need the both of you to promise me something. Promise me, that no matter what happens, that you will stand beside Arthur when he needs it most."

The two demigods looked worried but swore they would do has Lady Artemis requested. Reyna stepped forward to Artemis to ask her about what she meant, but Artemis shook her head and flashed away from them. Thalia and Reyna shared an awkward glance and made their way back to camp, both worried about what was to come.

 **I hope you enjoyed it. For some reason I really like it when the wolves are a part of what's going on. They may be my favorite characters personally. Next chapter will be up soon.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey guys here is the next chapter. I hope you like it. Thanks for the reviews everyone. Also to answer USAirforce's question from a few chapters ago, I do like pokemon. The pokemon go app is fun, and was a great way to get me to start walking again. Other than that I don't play the games too much anymore. I have a copy of Omega Ruby, I just never seem to be able to play it much.**

 **Without much more delay, here is chapter 23 of the Venator.**

The rest of the day was rather uneventful for the most part. Arthur spent time catching up with Percy and Annabeth as well as chasing male campers away from his sisters. Arthur liked Camp Half-Blood. You could walk around without much direction and the only thing that would be said to you would be a suggestion to improve on some skill or another. Arthur spent most of his day lazily in a tree watching everyone around him. Greeks and Romans reunited with old friends, the Hunt proved to the Apollo cabin who the better archers really were, and Chiron spent his time trying to stop the Stolls from pranking and stealing everything.

The wolves kept Arthur company by sitting under his tree and watching the chaos that was the camp. The pups would chase after the Hunters while the adults sat near Arthur. Arthur and his wolves knew if anything happened to the pups, the Hunt would punish whomever was responsible. His sister Sarah seemed to have grown especially attached to a pup from Sapphire's litter, as she would pick it up and play with it more than any of the other girls would. Arthur smirked, it figured that the two most important girls in his life would grow attached to Sapphire and her litter. Especially, since Sapphire was snarky with him the most.

As if she knew what he was thinking, Sapphire tilted her head up and groaned at Arthur.

"Yea I was thinking about you and your attitude," Arthur told her.

The wolf rolled its eyes at him and seemed to grin. Arthur shook his head at her.

When the horn for dinner sounded Arthur debated whether he would go to the pavilion or not. He honestly was not hungry and enjoyed watching the sunset across the lake. It was beautiful and reminded Arthur of the Hunt's Refuge and the time he spent alone up there. He loved Reyna and loved being with her, but he had spent so much time alone that he enjoyed the silence of solitude. Unfortunately, his quiet revery was ended when a shout came from below.

"You don't plan on making your girlfriend eat alone do you?"

Arthur jumped at the sound and nearly fell out of the tree. He looked down to see Reyna smiling mischievously at him. He swung down from his branch and landed in front of her without a sound.

"I see my sisters have helped you with your stalking abilities," Arthur said.

Reyna giggled, "Maybe a little."

Arthur sighed, "I wasn't really hungry and planned on skipping dinner honestly."

Reyna's face went from sweet and happy to furious in .04 seconds. Arthur hated when she glared at him. It seemed like she had seen his mother glare at him before and she practiced until she got her glare to look similar. The only thing on the earth that scared Arthur more than Reyna being in danger was when she or Artemis glared at him.

"Arthur," Reyna said, her voice deceivingly calm, "If you do not get your wolf loving hide up to the dining pavilion and have dinner with me, I will seal you in a stone box with three rabid weasels, have Percy and Jason create a massive hurricane, and then drop you off in the middle of it."

Arthur gulped, knowing that Reyna may not go to that extreme, but he would regret not listening to her. He sighed and kissed Reyna on the cheek before grabbing her hand and walking with her towards the dining pavilion. Behind him, Arthur could hear the wolves laughing in their own way at him. Arthur turned to glare at them, all except Sapphire stopped laughing and fell in line behind Arthur, Alpha of course walked next to Arthur. Sapphire stopped laughing, but decided to walk next to Reyna, who ran her hand through the wolf's fur.

If any of the Romans did not know about their relationship, they did now. As the couple walked up, surrounded by wolves, Percy let out a whistle and others started shouting things to embarrass the couple.

"What were you two doing?"

"Aw, someone get a family photo!"

"Someone finally put a leash on the Wolf!"

Arthur and Reyna turned so red that someone could have thought they were suddenly given the blessing of Ares/Mars. Not all of the comments were positive or meant in jest though. Arthur's improved hearing picked up a couple of Romans muttering how he must have tricked the Praetor and how there was no way she would pass them up for an unloyal Roman like Arthur. Arthur was upset to hear how the Romans regarded him, especially after he saved many of them in the final battle against Gaea. He knew he would always have those who were against him though, so he tried not to let it get to him.

When they saw the Hunt's table in front of them, Arthur's jaw dropped. On the table were an assortment of goodies and sweets, as well as a banner over it that read, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROTHER! The shock in seeing it caused Arthur to drop Reyna's hand as he turned to see the entire Hunt and a few of his closest demi-god friends carrying a large cake into the pavilion. Arthur could not believe that they all remembered and went to this much trouble for him.

"Happy Birthday Arthur," Sarah yelled as she attempted to tackle Arthur. Unfortunately for her, Arthur was solid muscle and barely moved. He wrapped his arms around her nonetheless and thanked her.

The rest of the demi-gods sang happy birthday to him, and when they finished Chiron stomped his hoof to gain everyone's attention.

"Heroes, it is not often that your lives as demi-gods goes much longer than fourteen or fifteen. It is true, you have very difficult take today to celebrate the life of a demigod who has made it past the average mark, and we hope that his and the other's who are sixteen and older signal a change for the better in your lives."

The demi-gods all raised a toast, each one hoping that what Chiron said would be true, and more of them would live past sixteen. Everyone formed a line that walked by the Hunt's table, grabbing some of the delicious goodies that had been provided. Nobody was sure where they had come from, but Arthur had a sneaky suspicion that Hestia was responsible for it. She always dropped by to see how Arthur was doing from time to time, happy that he found a home at the hearth of the Hunt.

Chiron disbanded the rule of sitting at your godly parent's table while the Romans were in camp, so everyone was able to enjoy the party more. Many came by to wish Arthur a happy birthday as he sat with his closest friends. He smiled when he say the Hunt and his Archers sitting together discussing tips and tricks. Arthur assumed the Hunt was okay with the Archers because he had trained them. Reyna was the only constant as far as companions who sat with Arthur went.

Percy and Annabeth stopped by for a while and gave Arthur a gift. It was a silver Camp Half-Blood Shirt, with the word Venator written on the back. They said they wanted Arthur to know he was welcome at both camps. Thalia spent time with him while Percy and Annabeth were there. Together she and Annabeth told Arthur how he needed to treat Reyna right or they would both fill him with arrows before Artemis got a hold of him. Reyna laughed at them of course, knowing Arthur would not hurt her intentionally.

Sarah came by, leading the Hunt, to present Arthur with brand bow that collapsed into the quiver it came with. Arthur was glad for their gift, his old bow was finally starting to crack along the limbs. He liked how it all fit into the quiver on his back so he could move easier on a hunt.

After an hour everyone started making their way down towards the campfire for the night's sing-a-long and campfire games. Arthur stayed back, not really wanting to join in. He thought it would be good to turn in early for the night. As he stood up Reyna caught his arm.

"I wanted to wait until we were alone to give you my gift," she said.

Arthur smiled, "Reyna, you're my girlfriend. That's a gift enough."

Reyna blushed at his comment, "Either way, I hope you like them. Angela helped me make them for you."

Arthur was confused when Reyna pulled out a wooden box. He took it from her hands gently and opened the box. Inside were twelve knives, three of each type of metal known to the demigods. He pulled out a Stygian Iron knife to admire the craftsmanship. On one side of the handle, a wolf and moon were etched into the metal, on the opposing side was a torch. The images represented both parts of his heritage. He looked up from the knife to Reyna.

Reyna noticed his eyes were slightly watery. It was at that moment she knew it was a good idea to put both parts of his heritage on the knives. She wanted him to know that she did not care what his heritage was, she loved him either way.

Arthur placed the box on the table and rushed forward to kiss Reyna. He poured as much love and passion into the kiss, thanking her for what she did, and what the symbols meant. Reyna was in heaven with the kiss, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. They probably would have stayed that way for the night if it was not for someone clearing their throat.

The couple broke apart to see Artemis staring at the two of them, "Sorry to break things up, but I would like to speak with my son for a moment. Also, they are waiting for you in the amphitheater Reyna."

Reyna blushed at being caught making out with her boyfriend by his mother. She kissed Arthur on the cheek and rushed off to join the rest of the campers. Arthur rubbed his arm as he looked at his mother who wore the smuggest look on her face. Arthur grabbed his gifts and walked past her towards the Artemis cabin.

"What's up mom?" he asked.

Artemis smirked, "You tell me."

Arthur blushed, "I thought you wanted to talk to me about something."

Artemis nodded, "I wanted to let you know about something that is about to happen in regards to you."

Arthur was about to ask her what she meant, when an Iris message appeared in front of him. A goofy looking Latino boy and a girl that reminded him too much of Zoe appeared in the message.

"Yo! Arthur, we good for a landing?" the latino boy asked.

"Oh man, I forgot you were arriving today. Give me a second Leo. I'm going to Iris message the campfire and let them know about my gift to them."

The girl looked at Arthur curiously, "Why aren't you there with them?"

"Hey Calypso, I was gonna turn in early, but my mom needed to talk to me. Thanks for the moonlace by the way," Arthur smiled at her. Calypso reminded Arthur so much of Zoe, he was glad she found a happy ending with Leo.

"Okay, Wolfman. I can see the campfire, so I will watch for you message to disappear," Leo told him, wiping the message clear.

Arthur was about to make a rainbow when his mother just connected an Iris message to the campers for him. Arthur smiled to show thanks, and then spoke to the campers.

"Hey guys, I almost forgot. I got you a gift for Christmas and it came early. It should show up in a couple seconds," Arthur waved the message clear and turned to his mother.

In the distance a loud voice came across on a megaphone, "ARE YOU READY FOR THE RETURN OF THE GREATEST DEMIGOD TO EVER WALK THE EARTH!"

Arthur shook his head, "Leo is a handful, I'm glad he and Calypso are coming home."

Artemis shared a sad smile with Arthur before muttering, "If only it was enough."

"Enough for what mom?" Arthur asked.

Artemis smiled for real, "I always forget you got better senses when I adopted you. What I have to tell you is not good."

Arthur raised an eyebrow as Artemis continued.

"The Olympian Council has been debating about you for the past several months. Specifically after they saw what your blood looked like," Artemis told her son.

"Why would they debate about me?" Arthur asked.

"They wanted to determine what you actually were. Demigod blood does not shimmer like yours does. They believe that you take more from your godly side than your human side," Artemis said.

Arthur was trying to follow what she was saying. As far as the Olympians were considered, he was an unknown entity. Whenever something unknown emerged, they tended to want to kill it. When he realized it, Arthur looked to his mother in shock, "They want to kill me?"

Artemis had tears in her eyes, "Athena found a manuscript that described people who became more than human. The term the writings used was demi-human. Apparently, their powers have the potential to rival the most lesser of gods. Zeus is scared of that power and how it could destabilize the balance we have achieved now."

"So his only solution is to kill me!" Arthur yelled.

Artemis quickly looked around her and shoved Arthur into her cabin. She held up a necklace for him.

"Don't shout, I've split my essence. Most of it is here with you while a part of it is currently telling the campers about the dangers you present. We are not sure what will happen, Zeus has not fully decided on killing you yet. Take this necklace, it is my birthday gift to you," Artemis told him.

Arthur took the necklace, it was a silver wolf howling on a leather strap. He put it around his neck and suddenly felt different. It was as if he were lighter, as if a large weight he had not known about that had been sitting on him disappeared. Arthur looked to his mother for answers.

"It hides your aura from the gods. They are going to want to hunt you down, but I will not let them hurt my son," Artemis wrapped him in a hug, tears clearly falling.

"Don't worry mom, I was trained by the best, they won't find me," Arthur told her.

Artemis sniffed as she tried to compose herself, "There's not much time, you must make your way alone to the Hunt's Refuge. It is also hidden from the gods to keep Apollo from flirting with my Hunters. You should be safe there. I will contact you if things change. The gods realized you aura went missing when you put on the necklace, go quickly my son, I love you."

Artemis formed into a simple mist and disappeared from Arthur's sight. He could hear shouting in the distance and could tell the campers were in disagreement of what to do about him. Arthur grabbed his pack, thankful he had not unpacked anything and made his way towards the door. He hung all of his new weapons on him as he started to walk out. When he opened the cabin door he was stopped by someone standing in the way.

"I knew she had warned you," Reyna said as she saw Arthur.

Arthur looked away from her, not wanting to see the look of betrayal in his girlfriend's face. It was not something he could bare. Reyna, however, demanded he look at her. She moved his face to look at hers with her hand.

"Tell me you had nothing to do with the dark magics that went against New Rome," Reyna remained stoic as she asked Arthur, but he could tell she was hurting.

"Is that what the gods say?"

Reyna shook her head, "That's the findings from the Senate members who were supposed to look into it. As the gods spoke to us about what you are, the Senate appear in an Iris message to inform everyone their findings."

Arthur was dumbstruck, not only were the gods against him, but now the Senate was against him. After all he did to help train soldiers and saving the Praetor, they were willing to simply blame him for something he had nothing to do with. He helped them get on the right track on where to start looking for the magic.

Arthur felt his heart break into several pieces. The place he had hoped would finally be a home to him, just abandoned him. Arthur sat on his cot is disbelief.

"Arthur, please tell me it wasn't you," Reyna said.

Arthur glared at her, "How could you believe that it was me? All that I have done, I have done to protect Rome and other demigods. I nearly died for Rome, FOR YOU!"

Tears sprang into Reyna's eyes as Arthur yelled at her. He never wanted to hurt her, but she partially believed what was being said, otherwise she would not ask him. She sat down next to him trying to hold his hand. Arthur kept pulling it away.

"I'm sorry Arthur, I told Silas the findings had to be false and that someone was setting you up. It's just the gods seem to be going along with the Senate's findings and now I'm so confused," Reyna broke down sobbing.

Arthur stood and pulled her up with him, pulling her into an embrace, "I'm sorry I yelled Reyna. Please know that I would never hurt you, which means I would never hurt Rome. I have to disappear for a while. The gods will want to kill me, and I can't have that. I will discover who is behind this and why I'm being blamed."

Reyna looked at him, "Give me two minutes to grab my bag from the Athena cabin…"

Arthur cut her off, "No, I have to do this alone. Rome needs you. I need you. I need any friendly face I can get in Rome right now. Otherwise, I will probably be shot on sight."

Reyna shook her head, "No! I love you and I'm not losing you ever again. I am going with you."

Arthur wrapped Reyna in a hug again, "Thank you, Reyna. I love you so much. I'm sorry."

Before Reyna could say anything she felt a thump on the back of her head and her vision went black. Arthur set her down gently onto his cot. He sheathed the Bowie Knife he had used to knocked her out and kissed her forehead. Placing a gift that was wrapped in silver paper and said Merry Christmas on it next to her, Arthur sighed and ran out the back door of the cabin and into the woods alone.

After the messages from both the gods and Rome, everything in Camp Half-Blood was pure chaos. Many of the Romans were calling for the blood of the Venator, along with several Greeks. The announcement that Arthur was not a true demigod but was demi-human shook everyone to the core. The Hunters and Archers stood in defense of their brother and leader, while Thalia, Percy, and Annabeth discussed amongst themselves.

"Do you think he did it?" Annabeth asked Thalia.

Thalia scowled, "No way. You know how he is. He cares about everyone and tries his best to help people."

"Why would he be accused of it then?" Annabeth was confused and did not like it.

"It is probably because of those magic books he has. Doesn't one tap into evil magics?" Percy suggested.

Thalia was shocked, "Kelp for Brains, you may be onto something."

Suddenly, Sarah jumped in between the three of them, "Where is our brother's girlfriend?"

The three demigods looked around and noticed Reyna was missing, as well as Arthur. They each looked at each other and had the same thought, Arthur was running. Reyna must have gone to either stop him or go with him. Knowing how much that would damage her reputation and credibility Percy sped off towards the Artemis cabin. Thalia signaled the Hunters, who in turn grabbed the Archers and the followed. They reached the Artemis cabin, finding only an unconscious praetor, and a Christmas gift. Arthur was already gone.

 **I know I'm evil since I keep splitting Arthur and Reyna up. Don't worry though this split is not going to last as long as previous ones. I hope that besides that you guys enjoyed the chapter. Next one will be up soon.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey guys sorry it has been so long. I got caught up watching the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Have you all seen those?**

 **In all seriousness though I was distracted by National Novel Writing Month last month and my stories on here fell to the back burner. However, I'm back to typing on these stories for you awesome readers. I'm waiting to see if inspiration hits me to write another holiday one shot like I did with _Death Breath Steals Christmas_. It was fun to write, I just have not had that kind of inspiration hit me yet. I also did not realize that I missed this story's birthday. So Happy Belated Birthday to _The Venator_. A special shout out to those who have been riding this train since it began, I hope you have liked reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Thanks to all my readers, followers, favorites, and reviewers. You guys continue to encourage me to not give up. So that's enough out of me, let's get to what you all are really here for, CH. 24 of _The Venator._**

Reyna woke up to shouting from several parties. She rubbed her eyes and saw a silver package directly in front of her. Looking around she realized that she was on a cot in the Artemis cabin at Camp Half-Blood. It also seemed like half the camp was in the cabin with her.

"What's going on?" she asked, wiping the daze from her eyes.

Thalia glared at her, "What's going on is your Legion and several of the morons at this camp have decided that Arthur is evil and wants to destroy the camps with dark magic."

Reyna paled as she whispered to herself, "Silas, you fool. I told you to hold that back."

"What was that princess," Thalia growled.

Reyna shook her head, "A member of the Senate contacted me about an investigation into some dark magic that threatened New Rome recently. He said the team discovered the magic was similar to the magics Arthur uses from his _necronomicon_. I told him to postpone telling the Senate about their findings until I could verify with Arthur what was going on."

"Well, looks like he stabbed you in the back then," Leo said.

Reyna looked around and finally realized who all was in the cabin currently. There were the seven from the prophecy, Angela, Thalia, Sarah, and Kyle. Kyle was standing in for the rest of the Archers, while Thalia did the same for the Hunt.

"Frank, why are you and Hazel here?" Reyna questioned her co-praetor.

Frank grimaced, "Well the Legion is split in two. One half remained here and remained loyal to Arthur, knowing he wouldn't attack Rome. The others returned to the city to meet with the Senate for the purpose of removing us as praetors."

Reyna felt tears form in her eyes. How could members of the Legion she had led successfully turn against her so easily? How could they think Arthur would attack his family? She knew someone was behind this and wanted to take power from her and disgrace Arthur for some reason. She was going to find out who it was.

"What about the Greeks?" Reyna asked the group.

Percy chuckled, "After Annabeth and I spoke up in favor of Arthur, they realized he either must be a good guy and the Senate is lying, or we are under some sort of mind control. They know Wise Girl here wouldn't fall easily for the second option and she would hit me if I did, so there was only one other option."

"You Greeks are smarter than we give you credit for," Reyna joked, "Except maybe Percy."

"That's right, we are smart...HEY!" Percy yelled in outrage.

The demigods in the cabin laughed at him. Even Reyna laughed a little. They needed to lighten the current mood. No one was sure what to do about the Arthur situation, and Reyna had a sneaky feeling that it was not only him who was being set up.

Who could possibly want to hurt Arthur and get the current Praetors removed from power? It did not make any sense to Reyna. They had been quite prosperous since the downfall of Gaia, and Arthur had only helped with that. What was the endgame?

"Guys, you should probably see this," Will Solace called into the cabin. Everyone hustled outside, Reyna followed last as she grabbed the small gift off of her bed.

She opened the wrapping paper as she walked out, hoping that Arthur had left some clue for her to discover where he was. She uncovered a felt box, the type that usually carries jewelry in it. Reyna hesitantly opened the box and revealed what was inside. In the box was a silver necklace, which had a pendant hanging off of it. Reyna studied it for a moment and realized that it was two wolves howling, and they made the shape of a heart. Reyna could not believe how beautiful it looked and quickly put it on. It made her feel closer to the man she loved, even though he was somewhere unknown. Quickly wiping the tears from her eyes, she made her way out of the Artemis cabin to see what all the commotion was.

When she stepped out, she saw everyone was circling around the red-headed Oracle of Camp Half-Blood, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Reyna had heard stories of her prophecies and how they came, but seeing it was another thing. The girl was surrounded by green smoke which seemed to start flowing through the crowd, causing everyone to back away from it. Reyna started to move away as well, but something held her fast. It seemed as though the smoke was making its way towards her, and Dare was following it. After several tense moments, the Oracle stood right in front of Reyna and spoke,

" _To the Hunter's son the gods must turn_

 _Else they see their legacy burn_

 _The foolish task is at an end_

 _And it's worker will make the world bend_

 _Fire will cleanse Rome_

 _And the homeless, shall finally find a home."_

Rachel almost fell as she finished the prophecy, but was caught by Reyna. Reyna looked around and saw everyone muttering to themselves about this new prophecy. Reyna glared at the gods who showed up as the prophecy finished.

"You all knew about this didn't you? Yet, you wanted him to be destroyed!" Reyna yelled.

Zeus turned red in the face, "Insolent demigod, we were trying to prevent another conflict by removing what appeared to be the catalyst."

Percy snorted, "Because that plan always works well doesn't it."

"Quiet Sea Spawn," Zeus growled.

"Don't threaten my son, brother," Poseidon replied with an edge to his voice.

"ENOUGH!" Artemis yelled over all of them, "The demigods are right. It was foolish of the council to think that destroying my son would cause this prophecy to go away. You cannot defy Fate."

"Artemis, what we were suggesting seemed to have the best outcome. It was highly unlikely that you would ever have a child again," Athena told her.

"Mom? It was your idea?" Annabeth questioned.

Athena sighed, "He is an unknown entity. We do not know how powerful he could become. Artemis fused her blood with his, and now he has power similar to the children of Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon."

"That doesn't mean he is evil," Annabeth reasoned.

"We don't know what he would be, and that is the problem. We have not seen a demi-human in ages," Athena told everyone there. Most of the campers were outraged that the gods would even contemplate killing off one of their children. Many of them were young and had not known the truth behind some of the incidents of the Titan War.

Chiron cleared his throat, "It matters not what was done. We cannot change that now. What we can do is put together a team to handle this prophecy. Reyna, it was given to you, who and what will go with you?"

Reyna thought hard about who should go with her. There was no telling what kind of monsters they would face so she needed strength and strategy. She also had no real idea where to look, that meant she would need people with good tracking skills. It would be ideal to bring Thalia and Sarah with her, but she would need more muscle with her as well. She thought about bringing Percy and Annabeth with her, the two of them were a formidable team. They had survived Tartarus together for Olympus sake. She also saw the benefits of taking Jason and Piper with her. Jason could control the winds and fly, that would provide an aerial view of the nearby area. Piper could use her dagger to view Arthur and see if she could find him. Reyna turned to Chiron after pondering on this problem.

"I request to take six people with me," she said to Chiron.

Chiron's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, "My dear, it is tradition that there be only three who go on quests; no more, no less"

Reyna fixed a determined look on her face, "We are talking about finding the only demigod who has the blood of Artemis running through his veins. He would have to be the greatest hunter to have ever lived besides the goddess herself. I will need a very skilled team to find him and the smallest total number I can come up with is seven."

The Hunters began grumbling about the comment of Arthur being better than them, but after thinking about it relented and stopped pursuing it. The other demigods were whispering amongst themselves about how foolish it seemed to challenge tradition. A few remembered when Annabeth did it years ago, but this was different for some reason.

"Name your team and I will consider it," Zeus proclaimed.

Chiron turned and looked at him, "My Lord, is it wise to go against tradition?"

Zeus rolled his eyes, "I think so teacher of heroes. Besides, the young lady seems to have given this great thought. So, let's hear your team."

Reyna smirked triumphantly, "Well first off I will need Hunters to track him, for that I've chosen Thalia and Sarah. Then I will need observants to help point us scan any area easily, I figure Jason and Piper would be good for that."

The four mentioned demigods stepped forward proudly. Everyone could see that even though her face was stained with tear streaks, Sarah looked determined to get her big brother back. A couple of the boys laughed at her when she first stepped forward, but they were now whimpering from the glare she had shot their way.

"That is five counting yourself child, who are the other two?" Artemis asked.

Reyna turned to Percy and Annabeth, "I know you two are retired, but do you think you got one more in you? I need you two in case we face any crazy, hard to kill monsters. I figure Annabeth would have a plan, and if that fell through we could use Percy's hard head as a weapon."

Percy glared at his co-praetor, but before he could say anything Annabeth interrupted him, "Of course we will join you. We owe a lot to Arthur and still have not finished paying him back."

Reyna smiled gratefully, "Lord Jupiter, this is the team I wish to take with me on this mission."

Zeus looked over the team with a smirk. He was glad to see that his children were chosen before Poseidon's and over Hades' children. He was about to approve the team that was chosen until a voice called out.

"What about me?"

Everyone turned to see Nico walking up towards Reyna, Will following close behind. Reyna had hoped that Nico would not be upset, she thought he could be useful elsewhere.

"Who will lead the camp if all of us go Death Breath," Percy said.

Nico looked over at him confused, "What do you mean?"

Percy shook his head, "And they say I'm dense. Nico with Annabeth and I gone, you are pretty much the next leader of camp. Don't you all agree, based on what Nico has accomplished?"

The camp gave a resounding cheer at the idea of Nico leading them. Nico blushed and Will was ecstatic. He patted Nico on the shoulder while the pale emo tried to hide from everyone.

"If there are no other objections, then I hereby sanction this team of demigods to fulfill the prophecy just given," Zeus told the audience. He began to glow quite bright as he suddenly vanished with the strike of a lightning bolt.

The gods had all left, with the exception of Artemis. She stayed behind to make sure the quest started off well. She was worried about her son and where he could have gone. The gift she gave him was working, she could not sense where he was. She could not tell the quest members where she sent him either. She had tampered with Fate almost too much by giving Arthur a head start.

"My Lady," Thalia interrupted her thoughts, "We will find him. Is there any message you want him to have when we do see him?"

Artemis nodded, "Tell him, I only wish for him to be happy."

Thalia was not sure what that meant, but she agreed to pass it on. Reyna gathered the questers together after the rest of the campers dispersed.

"Alright, I've told Frank and Nico to lead the forces of both camps towards Kansas. There they will train together in case we need to fight to rescue Rome from whomever our enemy is. They will wait for a signal from either one of us to attack," Reyna told them.

"Do you have any idea who is behind all of this?" Annabeth asked.

"I have suspicions but nothing solid to go on. I'm hoping Nico is able to find out some information on his spy missions into New Rome. For now, we need to focus on our target," Reyna replied.

"Any ideas where to look?" Percy asked.

"I was hoping that our trackers would be able to help us with that. Anywhere Arthur would go to escape from people?"

Thalia scoffed, "Only about twenty."

Reyna groaned, "That's not helpful at all. How do you propose to narrow it down?"

"Follow his tracks," Sarah said, "As we do that we can look for clues and try to contact him. That's why you brought Jason and Piper right?"

Reyna mentally smacked herself, "Of course, Piper can you try to see him in your knife?"

Piper stared into her dagger, after a moment she said, "I see mountains and a pathway. There is a lot of snow covering everything, but there seems to be a shelter of sorts off to the side."

"The Appalachian Trail!" Annabeth exclaimed.

"Thalia, did Arthur ever spend any time there?" Jason asked.

Sarah spoke up, "His big sister Zoe took him there a lot. That's where he learned a lot of his skills."

"How do you know that?" Thalia asked.

"Big brother always told me stories of big sister Zoe. She sounded like fun," Sarah told them.

Reyna knelt down in front of the girl and hugged her, "Well thank you for listening Sarah, now we know where to look."

Sarah hugged her back, "Let's go find him so you two can kiss again."

Reyna blushed while everyone else chuckled at the young girl. Reyna told them to gather their supplies and meet back at the Artemis cabin in two hours. The rest of the quest left, leaving Reyna with Artemis.

"My Lady, I know we have had our differences in the past, but I hope you can trust me to find your son," Reyna said as she bowed.

Artemis smiled, "I never thought I would see the day when I would support a maiden chasing after a boy. However, I have seen how happy the two of you are when you are together, and I know you have no intentions to hurt my son. I will help you this much, you will find help in finding him is closer than you think."

Reyna was confused and started to ask Artemis to explain more, but the goddess of the Hunt slowly disappeared into a faint mist that left the camp. Reyna tried to puzzle out what that meant, help was closer than she thought. Unconsciously, she reached up to grab her new necklace that Arthur gave her.

"Don't worry Wolf Face, I'm going to find you and then we will clear this whole mess up. After that, you and I are going to talk about our future."

 **Sorry Arthur fans, he was not in this chapter. He will return soon though, hopefully. I am excited about what is going to happen in the future chapters. It was the first ideas of the story I had actually come up with. I hope you enjoyed it. See you next time.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys, I hope your holidays have been well so far. I meant to get this chapter out sooner, but with all the things I've had going on this holiday season it has been a little difficult to write. I enjoy Christmas time, but good lord it gets really busy. I want to thank you guys for everything this past year. For reading this story and the encouraging reviews you have written. It means a lot that you all like it this much.  
**

 **To Cowpuff12, I'm glad I could provide you with an escape from difficult times, even if its just for a short time. I'm so sorry to hear what you have been going through and hope that things look up and get better. I've been through similar situations and used books and even some fanfictions to find an escape myself. I will be praying for you and your family, thank you so much for reading.  
**

 **I hope everyone enjoys this chapter of the Venator. Thanks for reading.**

The cold wind tore at Arthur as he ran through the wilderness. Even a normal demigod would be freezing in these temperature, but Arthur used the magics from his spellbooks to control the temperature of his body and the immediate air around him. His eyes burned with fury as his father's curse filled his body with energy from his betrayal. He could not believe the Senate's decision. After everything he had done for New Rome, his home, they would believe that he would betray them in this way. Could they not see he was framed? Why would Silas believe that he would betray Rome as well?

These were the questions that plagued his mind as Arthur ran through the wilderness towards the Hunter's Refuge. He was glad that his mother had enchanted the Refuge so that it was hidden from all of the gods except her. He knew this was to keep male gods from spying on her hunters, but it was going to be helpful for him as well. He just wished he did not have to be alone again.

He had spent years feeling alone, even when his sisters Zoe and Phoebe were alive and he traveled with the Hunt. He was the only male in the Hunt, there was no one for him to bond with or to pal around with. He loved all of his sisters, but he wished he had had more friends. He thought that would change when he was sent to live in New Rome. He could not have been more wrong. He had made a few friends, but was treated terribly by most of the others in the Legion. His mother eventually removed him from the Legion to live on his own, fixing up the Refuge. He was sad to leave at that point since he had first met Reyna.

Reyna was different than anyone else Arthur had ever met. She was strong and confident, and did not judge people based on what others said. She tested a person's mettle on her own before deciding what she thought about someone. Arthur had instantly felt drawn to her when he met her, that's why he vouched for her when she joined the Legion. He also could not help but fall for her. Her piercing eyes bored into him whenever she looked at him, he could get lost in them forever. He loved how she would knock him back in line if he needed it, but she also knew when to give him a little space when he needed it. She was everything he would have ever looked for in a woman, and he had his mother's okay to date her even. Artemis, the goddess of maidens and his adoptive mother, actually consented to letting him become romantically involved with a maiden. He could not believe how lucky he was.

When he had returned from his isolation, and after a lot of anger between him and Reyna that seemed to be pent up frustration about how to deal with their feelings for each other, things finally started to go well for him. Arthur had a home in New Rome, and had many friends that made up his new family outside of the Hunt. He had worked hard to help Percy and Annabeth with their nightmares, and, with their help, Arthur had become close with several in the Greek camp as well as the Roman camp. That's what made this betrayal all the more devastating.

Arthur thought he had finally been accepted, finally found a place where he belonged. He enjoyed living with the Hunt, but that was a place for girls who wanted to get away from male influences and live their lives with Artemis. He really did not need to be there. Now, as he looked at the hunting lodge he had set up for the Hunt, Arthur hung his head. Alone again, and for who knows how long this time. The anger built up within him to a point that he had to let it out.

"AAARRRRGGGHHH!"

Arthur's scream echoed through the woods around the Refuge as he drew and threw one of his Bowie knives. The energy from the Curse of Mithras seemed to fill the knife as it sailed through the air, embedding itself into a tree up to its hilt. The tree split down the middle, but only around the area of the knife. It looked as if someone took superheated metal and stabbed it into the middle of the tree, going straight through it.

Feeling good, as the hatred energy flowed through him, Arthur decided that he should gather some firewood. Afterall, it could be a long, cold winter.

* * *

"So, anyone know what this prophecy means?" Percy asked.

Annabeth sighed, "Seaweed Brain. We know who the Hunter's son is. That has to be Arthur, the only male that has any connection to Lady Artemis, the Hunter, outside of her family."

Percy rubbed the back of his head, "Oh yea, I knew that."

Reyna groaned, "Percy, can you be less you for once please?"

Everyone chuckled as Percy glared at Reyna. It was a half-hearted glare as the other quest members saw the somber look on Reyna's face. The quest had been traveling for two days so far along the Appalachian Trail, looking for any sign of Arthur or the shelter Piper saw. Snow was falling onto an already heavily blanketed landscape, causing the team to huddle closer to their fire. Luckily no monsters had attacked them yet, the demigods figured that it was too cold for most of them.

"Reyna, relax. We are going to find him," Thalia said.

Reyna just stared into the flames thinking about the prophecy that had been told to her. She was worried about what would cause Rome to burn. Her city had turned on her because of her relation with Arthur, but she still cared for it. She had spent her life protecting Rome and its way of life, she did not want to see it fall to pieces.

Sarah, the youngest of them all spoke up, "What is a foolish task?"

Annabeth smiled at the young girl, "It's a job that makes no sense. Whether it will not work, it is doing the same thing over and over, or even something that is just stupid usually."

Sarah shrugged, "Oh, well what could that be then?"

"There are many tasks that are seen as foolish in Greek mythology. At least when we look at them now," Jason told her.

"Yea, some could say my little bro's task of building shrines to minor gods is foolish," Thalia said with a twinkle in her eye.

Jason responded by sticking his tongue out at her. Piper shook her head at her boyfriend and his sister's antics. She was worried about Arthur and Reyna. Being the daughter of Aphrodite Piper felt the heartbreak Arthur felt along with him. When he found out he was betrayed it was as if his world had shattered, and when he had to leave everyone he had been devastated. If anything, Reyna was the physical manifestation of how Arthur had felt in that moment. Piper wanted to help Reyna out as much as possible. The two had become decent friends since the end of the Giant War, and Piper thought she deserved to be happy.

"So Thalia," Piper said, "Where are some of these places that Arthur would camp out at?"

Thalia shrugged, "That's the thing, it should be somewhere right around here. He gave me a map that listed his hide-aways, but things most have changed since he drew it."

"Why doesn't Jason use his wind powers to blow some of the snow away from here in sections. That way we can see if it was maybe buried by all the snow flurries," Percy suggested.

Everyone stared at Percy, slightly shocked that he had a good idea, except for Sarah. The youngest demigod was confused at why everyone was surprised, to her, it sounded like a good idea.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Why is it that the kelp brained buffoon knows how to use my powers better than me?" Jason asked the group.

"Hey!" Percy exclaimed.

Annabeth interrupted Percy before he could start, "I think a better question Air Head, is why haven't you done that already?"

The party started to fight amongst each other, with the exception of Sarah and Reyna. It seemed that the dropping temperatures were affecting everyone's moods. The demigods were ready to fight each other over nothing, and it was angering Reyna.

"ENOUGH!" she shouted.

Everyone turned their attention to her in surprise. They realized what they were doing and could not meet each other's gaze.

"Jason, do as Percy suggested and clear the area, look for Arthur's shelter," Reyna commanded.

Jason nodded and set about his task with help from Piper. She tried to remember the view in her dagger she saw to better help Jason where to look.

Reyna stood up in front of the quest team, "The rest of you listen, and listen well. We need to find Arthur or the world may come to an end once again. I know, it's the third time in a short period and we are all tired of it. However, what we do not need is being at each other's throats. That will slow us down and the enemy will win. Get it?"

The demigods all nodded. Reyna was scaring when she was angry, but she had a point. They could not understand why they had been so angry with one another, and Annabeth voiced her concern over this. The most unlikely person answered her question.

"Maybe it's the purple mist around you guys," Sarah said.

Everyone looked around themselves and saw nothing.

Sarah shook her head, "You have to concentrate really hard on it to see it. Otherwise it looks like snow flurries on the wind. The only people it's not around seem to be me and big brother's girlfriend."

When Sarah pointed this out, Reyna gasped. She could see the purple mist swirling around each of the quest members. Indeed, she and Sarah were the only ones it was not around. She quickly noticed this mist was similar to the dark magics that had attacked New Rome before. The mist that was currently being blamed on Arthur.

"Guys! It's like the magics Arthur casts from the _Necronomicon_!" Reyna exclaimed.

The others freaked out until Reyna demonstrated a motion to dispel the magics. It was similar to the three fingered gesture that Chiron and Grover had used in front of Percy to ward off evil. As each demigod performed the gesture, they instantly felt better.

"It would seem as though some kind of enchantment is hindering our process. You don't think it could be Arthur do you?" Annabeth questioned.

Reyna shook her head, "Why would he try to stop us from finding him?"

"Well he thinks we all hate him," Thalia said.

Percy shrugged, "Yes and no. He should know that those of us right here are some of his biggest supporters."

Before the conversation could continue, Jason called out, "Guys! Over here!"

The demigods all stood and made their way towards Jason's voice. In front of him there stood a cabin that had been built into the mountain they were on. Reyna smiled, she could tell this was Arthur's handy work. She walked forward and pushed the doorway open. Inside, she saw mats and cushions to sit on. It was obviously built with only minimal comfort in mind.

"Woah, it's like a secret fort," Percy said.

"I know right. This is awesome," Jason added.

Annabeth and Piper looked at each other and groaned. Thalia laughed at the both of them.

"Hey girls, it's your fault that you picked to little boys to date. Both of you were offered a place in the Hunt."

Jason and Percy glared at Thalia, but it only lasted for a short moment before everyone started to investigate their new found shelter. Sarah walked over to Reyna to see how she was doing.

"Are you really worried about Arthur?" she asked.

Reyna looked down at Sarah and smiled, but it did not reach her eyes, "Yes, I am. But not for his safety. I'm worried that he thinks we will abandon him."

Sarah hugged Reyna's leg, "Don't worry Reyna. He loves you. He would never think you would abandon him. Plus he has me, and I am probably the greatest Hunter there ever was."

Reyna gave Sarah a dumbfounded look. She could not believe that the little demigod had just said that. She sounded just like Arthur when he was acting like Apollo. Reyna tried, but failed to keep her laughter in. When she finally started laughing, she actually fell onto a cushion on the floor and had to hold onto her side. Sarah had joined her in laughing, glad to see Reyna smile again.

"You….You have definitely been spending too much time with your brother," Reyna finally managed to say.

Sarah just smiled, "I'm glad to see you smile. You make Arthur happy, so I want you to be happy too. We will find him big sis."

Reyna watched as Sarah stood and went towards what Reyna guessed was the kitchen. Reyna's eyes began to mist at what Sarah had said. She quickly wiped away the tear before it could fall and made her way towards the rooms of the shelter. The first room she walked into had a small bed, covered in furs and had a single sheet of paper sitting on the nightstand next to the bed. She walked over to look at it and recognized Arthur's handwriting. This must be his room, she thought.

Reyna sat on Arthur's bed and read the letter, which surprisingly enough was addressed to her. Had he known they were following? She hoped this letter would explain where he went and what his plan was now. Knowing him though it would probably be some sort of vague letter that explains nothing.

 _Reyna,_

 _I'm sorry that I ran off like I did. I wish I knew why it seems as though the Fates are against me. It seemed best if I hide out somewhere for the time being, let things cool down with the other demigods. It should also give time for my innocence to be proven, at least I hope it will. If you found this letter, then I am right and you are a part of a quest to find me. I think it may be best if I am not in the public eye for a while. I love you and hope this goes by swiftly so I can be with you again._

 _Arthur_

Reyna felt tears in her eyes and quickly wiped them away. That idiot was always selfless, why could he not see that she cared more for him than for Rome.

Reyna felt herself stiffen at that thought. Rome had been the most important thing in her life for the longest time. It was her duty to make sure Rome stayed in its prime and did not fall from its glory. Even when she thought of how much she cared for Arthur, she balanced it with what was best for Rome. Now, she realized that she cared more for him than anything else. In that moment, the idea of retiring from her praetorship and carrying on with her life, maybe going to school and spending her days with Arthur seemed like a better idea than continuing as praetor.

"Reyna, you okay?" Piper asked as she walked into the room.

Reyna looked up at her, quickly making sure there were no tear streaks on her face, "Yea Piper, I'm fine. What's up?"

Piper smirked at her, "You know you cannot hide your feelings from me. Daughter of the Love goddess, remember."

Reyna chuckled, "Yea well honestly, I am fine. I've never felt better."

Piper raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I've started making a huge decision in regards to my future. One I never thought I'd make before now," Reyna told her.

Piper smiled, "Well that sounds like a good thing. C'mon, we found some food left that Thalia says is edible and has not gone bad. Apparently, your boyfriend knows how to store meat for a long period of time."

"He's a really good cook too," Reyna told her as the two hurried back to the kitchen.

As the demigods ate a delicious dinner, courtesy of Arthur, Reyna placed the letter she found in her pocket. She really did not want to explain anything to the others yet. She was sure Piper assumed what her revelation had been about, but that was more people knowing than she cared for. After dinner the questers found a place to sleep for the night and rested in relative peace.

Reyna watched as Jason and Piper as well as Annabeth and Percy cuddled up with each other to sleep. Even Sarah and Thalia cuddled up to share warmth. Reyna smiled at her friends and made her way to Arthur's room. She crawled underneath all of the furs on the bed and found that Arthur's scent was on the blankets and pillows. She snuggled in tightly on the bed, hoping that they would not have to search long to find her boyfriend. When they did find him, she was going to smack him so hard and then hold him and never let go. For now she would have to make due with the blankets around her, they were the only thing she had to remind her of him as sleep swiftly took her.

The next morning, the demigods woke up and made a quick breakfast. They replenished their supplies from what they could out of Arthur's gear. None of them were eager to set back out into the cold without some sense of direction, so they decided to have a team meeting.

"Where do we head next?" Jason asked.

Piper glared at her dagger, "I'm not sure. The daggers starts to show me images of his location, but then it gets all fuzzy."

Annabeth looked puzzled, "Maybe there's some magic preventing us from seeing him."

Thalia nodded, "It's probably him hiding his presence so he cannot be found."

"That would make sense," Reyna thought out loud, "But I think he knows we are following him. He would leave some sign for us wouldn't he?"

The others nodded, and they started to look around the shelter for any clues they might be able to find. The shelter was not that large and so only took about thirty minutes to search all over. The quest members gathered together to show what they found when they finished.

"Did anyone find anything?" Reyna asked.

They all shook their heads, except Sarah who had not joined the group yet. She was in Arthur's room still searching for some sign of where her brother went.

"Well what do we do now?" Percy questioned.

Thalia frowned, "We could make a list of everywhere Arthur would go."

"That sounds like a good idea," Annabeth agreed with her friend.

As they started to think about where the missing hunter could have gone, a scream of delight came from his bedroom. The demigods rushed to his room to see Sarah holding onto a knife that was sheathed in some sort of decorated leather. Thalia gasped in surprise as the others stared in confusion.

"That's a Hunter's knife," Thalia said.

"We can see that Pinecone Face," Percy commented, "What's so special about it?"

Sarah turned to face the others, "Arthur made it for me. He was working on it while he was at the Hunter's Refuge and told me it would be done by Christmas. He had to finish the sheath and engrave something on the blade."

Reyna moved forward and asked to see the blade. Sarah handed it to her hesitantly, and Reyna inspected the workmanship. She saw that there was a wolf on the leather sheath, made with inlaid silver. It did not look like a full grown wolf, more like a pup who was frolicking under the stars. Reyna drew the knife from its sheathe, to reveal one of the most beautiful silver knives she had ever seen. Written along the back of the blade were the words, _Never Lose Sight of the Stars_.

Thalia smiled, "That's a reference to Zoe."

Percy and Annabeth's eyebrows shot up, while Sarah asked, "Who is Zoe?"

Reyna smiled, "Your brother told me about her. Zoe was his favorite sister, before he met you. She helped raise him into the man he is today."

Thalia put her hand on the young hunter, "In a way, he is passing her legacy on to you little one."

Sarah beamed as Reyna handed her knife back to her. Sarah had heard stories in the Hunt about Zoe and how great of a huntress she was. She could not believe her brother gave her such an amazing gift. Piper and Jason however, were growing impatient.

"How does that lead us to Arthur?" Jason questioned.

Sarah smiled, "Because the only place he could have started to work on this is the Hunter's Refuge. I bet he left this as a clue to where he was going. It's something only I would be able to recognize."

Jason gulped, "Is it okay for males to go to the Hunter's Refuge?"

"I was there not too long ago," Percy said, "But then, I'm also one of the only males Lady Artemis can tolerate beside her own son."

Piper giggled, "Don't worry Jason, I'm sure you'll make a cute jackalope."

Reyna laughed with the rest as Jason's eyes filled with fear. They had a course now, and Reyna would not be deterred. Even if it meant that one of her friends would be turned into a small woodland creature of some kind.

 **Hope you all enjoyed it. You guys are awesome. Have a Merry Christmas.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey guys. Sorry it has been so long. I've actually had this typed up for a while now, but just kept forgetting to upload it. I hope everyone's year is going well.**

Three days of travel went by and the quest had not made it to the Refuge yet. They had started by taking a bus to get to Montana quicker from New York. They made it to Ohio before they were attacked by strange creatures. The bus had stopped near a small town called Minerva to give everyone a break to stand and stretch and eat, while the driver refueled and took a break himself. Reyna was hesitant to leave the bus, but everyone else said it would not do them any good to go without eating.

While they were enjoying some sub-sandwiches, Thalia and Sarah shouted out in surprise and ran off towards a nearby wood. The others had no idea what was going on, but decided it would be best to follow them. Reyna was watching her watch carefully the entire time.

"Pinecone Face, what are you doing?" Percy demanded after Thalia and Sarah stopped. They were both checking the ground for something and had their bows at the ready.

"Shut up Fish Face," Thalia whispered, "We are hunting something. Are you sure you saw it Sarah?"

Sarah nodded, "Not only that, but it has been sighted often in this area. Arthur and I saw a film on it."

"What a minute," Jason interrupted, "You're hunting something even mortals can see? I thought you only hunted mythological creatures?"

Thalia sighed, "We do little brother, however, this creature seems to bridge the gap between the two worlds and even mortals have encountered it."

"The creature is known to be friendly at times, but has been reported to be extremely dangerous when encountering humans. Many people live in fear of it," Sarah told the group.

Piper clung tighter to Jason, while he and Percy seemed to look more alert. Annabeth's eyes unfocused as she seemed lost in thought about the creature. Reyna rolled her eyes at the story.

"Please, this is just some sort of spooky legend people tell their children to make them behave," Reyna said.

Sarah glanced back at Reyna with wide eyes, "How can you say that when you live in the world of mythology."

Reyna shrugged, "Just because there is a legend about everything, doesn't mean it all exists. Take the Chupacabra for instance. It clearly does not exist, no one has ever seen it."

Sarah and Thalia shared a look before Thalia spoke up, "Reyna, trust me. That thing is real, and I never want to encounter one again."

Reyna's eyes widened at the terror in Thalia's voice. Could those things really exist? If so then what were they after.

"You're hunting the Grassman aren't you?" Annabeth asked quietly.

Sarah nodded, "We have been trying to hunt one down for a few years now. This monster is more elusive than the Teumessian Fox, and it makes Lady Artemis angry."

Percy cleared his throat, "Um, Annabeth, it's nice to give the monster a name, but what is the Grassman?"

Annabeth shrugged, "It's a legend that seems to cover the globe and is known by many different names. It is called the Yowie, the Wendigo, Yeti. You would know it best as Bigfoot or Sasquatch."

Percy started to laugh, "Bigfoot, really Thals? That's what we are after."

Piper and Jason joined in the laughter as well. They could not believe that these experienced Hunters were worried about something that clearly was not real. Their laughter put the others on edge as the scanned the woods around them. Suddenly everything went deathly quiet.

"Percy," Thalia said, "Stop laughing, something's coming. Listen."

Percy listened for a second, "I don't hear anything."

Thalia nodded, "Exactly, it's nearby."

Sarah looked around uneasily, trying to find a sign of their quarry. If they could bring this beast down, Lady Artemis would be extremely proud of them. Arthur would be too. She watched as the other members of the quest drew their weapons and prepared for a fight. Piper drew her sword and took a step to the left, which caused a twig to snap. Everyone's heads turned to look at her in fear. They held their breath waiting for something to attack. Nothing came during those few seconds so the group breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, a loud roar that seemed to echo through the woods and shook each demigod to their core was heard. With it came three large eight foot tall, hair covered beings lept from nearby bushes and charged the group. Each creature ran on two legs, like a human, but their face was more ape-like. The demigods readied to defend themselves as the creatures closed the distance in almost no time.

Reyna rubbed her severely bruised arm as she remembered the fight with the Sasquatch. She had never fought a monster so powerful, or hard to take down. Every time they shot it with an arrow or slashed at it with a sword the creature just got angrier. Eventually, they had to retreat, and Jason had to hasten them with the wind to help them get away. When they returned they found that the bus had left them, and now they had to find another means of transportation. Annabeth came up with the idea of hailing the Grey Sisters Taxi Service to at least take them to a town so they could get their bearings.

Once they were able to get to a city, they were able to send an Iris Message to have the camp send pegasi for them to travel on. They had to wait a day before the pegasi arrived, so they ended up getting two hotel rooms for the night. Thalia was not too sure about the rooming situation, but before she could say anything, the two couples were in a room and she, Sarah, and Reyna were in one. Thalia sighed in defeat and told the couples that they better not do anything she wouldn't do, and if they did they better not name it after her.

The group was now on their third day of travel and had finally made it to Montana. Reyna was very nervous about seeing Arthur, there was no telling what kind of state he would be in. She had felt her wolf tattoo burn a little this morning, something that had concerned her. When she had contacted Lady Artemis about it, she swore on the Styx that she had nothing to do with the tattoo causing Reyna pain. Artemis thought maybe it was a connection to Arthur.

Reyna hoped the goddess was wrong. She did not want Arthur to be hurting, that is what would lead to him falling back into his Curse. She remembered that day in the cafeteria of New Rome when he almost killed that other legionnaire. It was a scary sight when the Curse of Mithras took over.

"How much further?" Reyna called out to Sarah and Thalia. They were sharing a pegasus since there were only four of them that showed up. Percy and Annabeth were riding Blackjack; Piper and Jason were sharing a pegasus as well. That left Reyna by herself, which was ok. Percy claimed that the other pegasi were fighting over who she would ride since she had been blessed by the Pegasus.

"We should see the clearing momentarily," Sarah yelled back over the wind.

"Yea, then the house will be a dead giveaway," Percy added as he urged Blackjack to go faster.

"Eat our dust Thals," Annabeth called out to her friend.

"Yea right Squid Kisser," Thalia called back.

Annabeth began to shout in outrage at Thalia's nickname for her. It was hard to tell if her face was red because she was blushing or angry. Piper laughed at them, then whispered something in Jason's ear. He grinned maniacally as he started to push the winds around their pegasus so it could go even faster.

Reyna watched as the three Pegasi took off like jets. She leaned down and stroked her pegasus and whispered in its ear, "If we make it first, I'll let Lord Pegasus know how amazing you are. Also, when we get there, I'll make sure you get the best donuts around."

Reyna started laughing when her pegasus reared back and took off at speeds she has never seen before. She laughed even harder at the look on Percy's face when she passed him, as he was in the lead and had the advantage being a son of Poseidon. The pegasus landed and Reyna slid off its back, hugging its neck.

"Thank you my friend. I shall ask the son of Poseidon what your name is and you will get the reward I promised you."

"What the heck Reyna?" Percy yelled as he helped Annabeth off of Blackjack.

"I can't help it if Blackjack has to carry all that weight Percy. Maybe you should cut back on how much you're eating," Reyna teased.

Her pegasus whinnied in response.

"So you're turning them against me. Just because Pegasus blessed you himself doesn't mean anything Reyna," Percy countered.

Reyna's pegasus snorted and stomped its feet at Percy.

Percy gulped, "Nevermind. Welsh here has corrected me. He also says he is your pegasus from here on. It honors him to carry one blessed by his father.

"Welsh huh?" Reyna said as she stroked the mane of her steed, "Figures, my other pegasus was named Skippy, like the peanut butter."

The pegasus started to laugh, Reyna shocked that she actually heard it as laughter and not anything else. Welsh nuzzled his new owner as the rest of the quest landed and dismounted, Thalia and Sarah bringing up the rear.

"Okay, it is not fair when you all use your powers to beat us," Thalia said, "Just because I got over my fear of heights a little, does not mean that you all get to cheat during pegasi races."

Sarah groaned, "Great, now she is going to complain about this for the next four months. Why couldn't you guys let her win?"

The group started to laugh, but it was immediately cut off by the sound of an axe against wood. The turned and saw through the trees the Hunt's Refuge, and it sounded like Arthur was busy cutting wood at the moment. All the demigods were glad to hear that sound, even though the pegasus race was fun, they were all now frigid to the bone. They were looking forward to enjoying a warm fire.

They approached the cottage, and walked towards the back where Arthur was. When they saw him, they had to pause and step back a little bit. Arthur's eyes were blazing with silver fire that had a red tint to it. The demigods present all knew this to be his Curse taking over. To make things worse, he was using the axe single handed and cutting large pieces of wood with it.

"Oh, no," Thalia whispered.

Everyone, except Reyna, looked at her worriedly. When Thalia saw their faces she sighed.

"Whenever he would use the curse it would be silver only. That was representative of the godly blood from Artemis he received. He said the change happened when he finally had a place to call home. Now it's turning red again."

"Just like it was when he first came to New Rome," Reyna whispered in fear.

Thalia nodded, "He thinks he has been betrayed by almost everyone. I'd imagine that is what is causing it to shift back."

"You may be right Thalia, but that does not give you the right to sneak up behind me and talk about me," Arthur said as he placed another bit of wood on the chopping block. His voice was deep and sinister as he spoke to them.

Sarah trembled and hid behind Reyna. Reyna placed her arm on the little girl's shoulder and gave her a sympathetic look. Reyna had an idea of how to calm down Arthur, but she was afraid it would not work.

"You guys head inside," Reyna told the group, "We'll be in shortly."

The questers shrugged and made their way into the Hunt's Refuge. Reyna slowly approached her boyfriend, nervous with how he was reacting to the situation. She noticed off to the side that one of his knives was stabbed to the hilt into a tree. She shuddered at how much force would have been needed to do that.

Putting her hand on Arthur's arm gently, Reyna spoke to him, "Arthur, I know things are not fair right now. I know that you feel betrayed right now. Please, we need you to calm down. We came out here looking for you because we care about you."

The fire coming from Arthur's eyes lessened, "I know you do Rey. As well as the Hunt and a few others. However, I can't keep putting you all in danger or causing others to hate you. You deserve better than that."

Reyna sighed and stepped in front of him, "Arthur, more people than you realize are missing you right now. Most of the demigods were hoping for a longer break from war and this prophecy is unsettling, especially to the Romans."

"So they agree with what my grandfather suggests. That I should be destroyed to keep the prophecy from happening," Arthur growled out. The edge was returning to his voice as his anger grew.

Reyna wrapped her arms around Arthur, "Please, Arthur. Just give them a chance. Half the Legion stayed at the Camp Half-Blood in support of you. They and the Greeks are preparing to march towards Rome to either defend it or retake it, and according to the prophecy we are going to need your help."

Arthur removed her arms from around him and grabbed the axe. He turned around and made his way towards a small shed off to the side of the main building. As he walked, he spoke softly.

"I'm sure you guys can handle things without me just fine."

THWACK

Arthur felt as a stick hit him in the back. He turned around and saw Reyna glaring at him. The fire in his eyes had gone out and he was shocked that his girlfriend would attack him like that.

"Arthur you better check yourself right now! I did not agree to date a man who does nothing but feel sorry for himself!" Reyna yelled.

"Well what do you want me to do!" Arthur responded.

"Get over it when things go wrong and stop leaving me alone!"

Arthur could not help the smile that was forming on his face as Reyna moved towards him. Her first action was to punch him in the gut, then, as he was doubled over, she grabbed his chin and tilted it towards her.

"When something happens we need to talk about it. That's what couples do. Your days of running around alone are over. Understand?" Reyna asked.

Arthur nodded. As he did Reyna leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. The two of them never got tired of kissing each other, and the kiss quickly started to escalate. As Arthur was able to stand again he deepened the kiss and wrapped his arms around Reyna's body while her's snaked around his neck. Reyna found her legs growing weak so she lifted them to wrap around Arthur's body, allowing him to hold her up. Unknown to the two of them an audience had started to form at the kitchen door of the Refuge.

"Hey!" Percy yelled, "There are innocent children here. Cut it out!"

Thalia had covered Sarah's eyes so she would not be curious about what was going on. The less she saw of this the better. Arthur broke away from the kiss and shared a mischievous grin with Reyna.

"Well Percy, maybe you should go somewhere else then," Arthur called out.

"Or at least have Annabeth cover your eyes so you can stay innocent," Reyna added.

The other demigods chuckled at their comments. Percy groaned as the two started kissing again. Suddenly, the demigods started laughing harder. Arthur and Reyna stopped kissing and turned to notice that Annabeth had indeed covered Percy's eyes. Arthur and Reyna joined in the laughter as Arthur put Reyna down.

"I assume you all are hungry then?" Arthur asked.

They all nodded. Arthur shrugged then headed to his meat shed. He grabbed a few chunks of deer steak and one tofu steak for Piper.

"Alright, give me a little bit and I'll have dinner ready," Arthur told them, "Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, and Sarah, you all know your rooms. If you could show Jason and Piper to a room that would be great."

"What about me?" Reyna asked.

"While the meat is defrosting, I'll show you where you will stay," Arthur told her as he grabbed her bag.

While the others went off towards the rooms in the cabin, Arthur brough Reyna to the living room. Reyna hoped that she was not going to be sleeping on some pull-out couch or something. She had honestly expected an actual bed to sleep on. She voiced her concern to Arthur.

"Don't worry Rey," Arthur assured her, "I am letting you have my room. There is a queen-sized bed and a bathroom attached to it. I built it separate from the others so the girls did not have to worry about a guy sleeping too close."

Reyna could not believe what she had heard, "Where would you sleep?"

"The couch," Arthur answered matter of factly.

"Oh," Reyna muttered. She was kind of hoping he was offering to share with her. She had grown jealous of Percy and Annabeth and how they shared a bed when they would sleep. Granted, they only did that to keep the nightmares at bay. It would be nice to cuddle up thought, at least Reyna thought it would be.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked.

Reyna shrugged, "I thought maybe since I was in your room, we would be sharing."

Arthur's faced reddened a little bit, "I did not want to assume that's what you wanted. I had thought about it, but I did not want to push you into anything."

Reyna nodded, "And I love you for that, but I think I would feel more comfortable with you here with me. I'm still upset that you left me again, and I'd like to keep you from doing it again."

Arthur rubbed his arm nervously, "Alright, we will see how things go. I'm not sure how my mom would feel about it, but I figure we can ask for forgiveness instead of permission."

Reyna smiled, "Well if she changes us both into Jackalopes, at least we could still be together."

Arthur chuckled, "Somehow, that's not a very encouraging thought."

 **I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I hope to have the next one out sooner than it took to put this one out.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey guys I have a couple chapters ready to post. This one is mostly just some filler, but its an image I had floating around my head since I began thinking about this story and I really wanted to include it. I hope you enjoy it.**

A week had passed and those at the Refuge were enjoying their down time from questing and training. Arthur would hunt to keep from using the emergency stores at the cabin, Reyna typically tagged along with him. Thalia and Sarah tried to follow along, but Arthur would glare at them, convincing them to stay behind. They knew Arthur was trying to make amends with Reyna and strengthen the bond between the two, so they would find other ways to occupy their time. Terrorizing the other two couples was a fun way to do it.

Annabeth was using their time at the cabin to look more into the prophecy and who their foe could potentially be. Percy would help where he could, but after suggesting "that one guy," for the fifth time, Annabeth encouraged Percy to find another way to be useful. Percy was disappointed at first, but after a passionate kiss from Annabeth, and a request for a cozy fire in the fireplace, Percy found a job he could handle.

Jason and Piper spent most of their time taking walks together through the woods together. Their relationship had been a little rocky with all the traveling Jason had to do, but they were working through it. They also spent part of their time at the Refuge Iris Messaging some of the minor gods and goddesses to see if they had any idea what might be going on. Their efforts proved fruitless, but they had a great time together while they did it.

The eighth morning from the arrival of the questors proved to be just like every other morning. Each demigod set off on their own tasks for the day, and agreed that it would be Jason and Piper's turn to prepare dinner that night. They had rotated as couples, Thalia and Sarah both paired up to allow the others to enjoy their time together. Piper thought it would be a great idea to decorate the table with something to represent the wintery season that was surrounding them. She grabbed Jason and drug him along with her to create the decorations she had in mind.

"Pipes, I'm pretty sure that no one will really care about how the table looks you know," Jason told her as they scoured the woods for wintery items.

Piper sighed, "It's like I told you Jason, I want to create a nice ambiance for everyone. I'm sure we won't be able to take it easy like this for much longer, so we should enjoy it while we can."

Jason nodded, "I know the camps are together and ready to take back New Rome from whatever dark magics surround it and prove Arthur innocent, but we still don't even know who or what we are up against. Plus, have you noticed that Arthur seems off lately?"

Piper nodded. They had all seen Arthur's attitude change as of late. It was as if he was cutting himself off from everyone but Reyna. No one could blame him though. The gods thought it would be best to kill him since he was a demi-human, and not a demigod. Not that it mattered much to Piper, but apparently the gods had seen demi-humans become threats in the past.

"He just needs time," Piper told Jason, "Time and for us to support him as best we can."

Jason sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "You're right Piper. I just wish we knew what was going on and why they wanted to frame Arthur."

Piper froze before she could say anything else. As they had been walking and talking, they had not paid attention to their surroundings. In front of them was a cave, and standing in the mouth of that cave was a large grizzly bear. They must have disturbed it by accident since they were not trying to be stealthy in their winter clothes and boots. They had grown accustomed to the safety of the Refuge.

"Piper, you ok?" Jason asked.

Piper grabbed his arm and motioned towards the bear. Jason started to freak out, but the grip Piper had tightened, calming him slightly.

"What do we do?" Jason asked.

"I don't know, run?" Piper suggested.

Jason groaned slightly, "It could chase us though."

Piper started to shiver and it wasn't from the cold. In the back of her mind it was a little funny. She and Jason had faced some of the most terrifying things in Greek mythology and here they were, terrified of a grizzly bear. It didn't help that they had all decided to watch some movie called _The Grizzly Maze_ the night before. It was about a killer grizzly bear and the people it was hunting.

"I'll distract it with some lightning, then you run and I'll follow behind you," Jason told her.

Piper nodded, "Are we going to fly?"

Jason shook his head, "I'm too cold and too scared to do that right now."

Piper held back a giggle, "I assume you don't want Percy to know that right?"

Jason glared at his girlfriend playfully, "If he finds out, then everyone may just hear about that dream you had when you fell asleep on my shoulder the other night."

Piper blushed. She couldn't help that she had a very hot and steamy dream about herself and Jason. She just wished that it hadn't happened while she was using him as a pillow. She had never been so embarrassed in her life.

"On the count of three," Jason said.

Piper nodded and held up her hand.

She raised one finger, the bear growled louder than before.

She raised the second finger, the bear began to lumber forward and Jason held out his hand and concentrated.

When her third finger raised she took off in the opposite direction. Before the bear could react, Jason had summoned a bolt of lightning to try to stun it, and followed Piper. What he did not expect was for the lightning to make the bear more angry.

Shaking itself off, the bear watched as the threat to it ran away. That just wouldn't do, he had to make sure the threat was taken care off. If not, it could come back and attack while he slept. The bear took off after the two legged creatures who had threatened its den, slowly gaining on them with each stride.

RRRAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH

The bear bellowed and pushed itself harder to reach the intruders. He noticed in the distance that the cabin of the silver girls was getting closer and closer. The bear knew it had to reach the intruders who threatened his cave before they reached that cabin. Otherwise, the girls may come out and shoot him. He heard rustling in the trees above him, chancing a glance up the bear noticed two figures swinging through the trees towards him.

Reyna and Arthur had been hunting an elk that was wondering by earlier this morning. Arthur was using it mostly as a training opportunity for Reyna, helping her get better with her stealth and tracking abilities. They had spent most of the day tracking it and keeping from being discovered by it. Reyna had been found by the animal twice and they had to find it again, but she was enjoying the time with Arthur as he taught her his craft. That was until they heard the roar echo throughout the woods.

"What was that?" Reyna asked.

Arthur seemed to be focusing in the direction of the noise, as if he were looking through the entire forest. Reyna figured it was some ability he had as the son of Artemis, he could find his prey wherever it was in the forest. Finally, Arthur cursed.

"Those two are going to get themselves killed," Arthur said.

Reyna shook her head, "What have Jason and Piper done now?"

Reyna knew her former co-praetor and his girlfriend liked to explore the woods around the cabin and quite often they would get into trouble with some of the wildlife. So far they had been sprayed by a skunk, Jason had been attacked by a deer, and a fox stole one of Piper's scarves. The fox incident was rather funny because the next day a fox walked by wearing a green knitted scarf that looked very familiar. The group had figured the animal wanted it to line its den, but apparently it was some sort of fox fashion thing. They all laughed when Piper ran after the animal only to get tricked into falling face first into the snow while the fox ran off. Piper swore the animal chuckled right before it took off into the woods.

Arthur smirked, knowing exactly who that fox was. It was the Teumessian Fox, the Cadmean Vixen, the only creature that cannot be caught. It had been hanging around the Hunter's Refuge for the last two years, taunting Artemis, her hunters, and most of all, Arthur. Arthur had been trying to catch the elusive creature as a way to prove to the gods that he was worthy to be allowed to live. Unfortunately, the fox lived up to its reputation and Arthur had given up on trying to catch it. The fox decided to raid the meat locker at the Refuge about once or twice a week. Since then, Arthur made sure to leave something out for the mischievous little critter whenever he was at the Refuge.

"Reyna, we have to hurry. They've upset a grizzly bear, and it will probably kill them," Arthur muttered after coming out of his flashback.

Reyna paled, "Let's go then."

Reyna lept into the trees, followed closely by Arthur. It took almost no time, using the branch routes Arthur had designed and shown Reyna, for them to get in eyesight of the bear and the demigods it was pursuing. Arthur realized that they had to act now, or else the bear may damage the Refuge. He really did not want to replace a wall again. Not to mention, the death of two of his friends would really suck.

Reyna could not understand why Jason or Piper hadn't tried to fight the monster that was chasing them. Could they have really left their weapons back at the cabin? That would be the only reason to not fight the creature. Reyna knew she had to act now or her friends could possibly die. Reyna called on her reserves and launched herself towards the bear, at the same time which Arthur jumped in mid-air twisting his body around.

Arthur used the momentum of the jump and the twist to launch his twin hunting knives directly at the bear. They flew past Reyna and sank up to the hilt into the bear's flesh. The impact of the knives caused the bear to stumble momentarily. Jason and Piper pulled a little further ahead of the bear. Before the creature could lunge forward again, Reyna came falling out of the sky, her own hunting knives raised above her head. She landed on the back of the bear and brought both blades down into the bear's neck, just behind the skull. She watched the bear's head go limp. The bear continued forward for about five steps when it stumbled into the ground. The body was pushed forward with momentum that caused the body to dig up a ditch in the ground.

Piper and Jason stood against the wall, frozen in fear, as they watched Reyna ride the bear until it came to a stop directly in front of them. They held their breath, expecting the bear to snap at them. When it didn't they both began to breathe regularly again. Reyna slowly stepped off of the creature and pulled her knives from its body.

"You guys okay?" Reyna asked.

Jason and Piper could only nod as they looked at what would have been their killer if Reyna had been just a little slower. Arthur walked up close behind Reyna to survey the damage and her kill. He nodded, quite impressed with his girlfriend's handywork.

"Jason," Arthur called out, snapping his fingers in front of the blonde's face, "Snap out of it and help me get this thing to the butcher shed. The meat off of this beast will provide food for a while."

Arthur tugged on the bear carcass and started dragging it off towards the butcher shed. Jason shook his head and helped the hunter take the quarry in. Reyna looked over to Piper and helped her up.

"C'mon Piper. Let's get you inside and warmed up," Reyna said as she led the shocked girl into the cabin.

Reyna could still feel the adrenaline of the hunt pumping in her ears as they stepped inside. Thalia and Sarah rushed forward, unsure of what happened, but seeing blood splattered over the two girls. They quickly checked the two out, making sure there were no injuries on them. After determining they were okay, except for Piper's shock, the Hunters took Piper to get a cup of warm hot chocolate in the kitchen. Annabeth and Percy appeared in the doorway to their room.

"Everything okay?" Percy asked.

Reyna nodded, "Just a wild bear."

Reyna unstrung her bow and moved to place it next to the door, ready for when she would need it again. As she did, she could feel Annabeth's stare boring into her back. Reyna sighed, the daughter of Athena would try to find the secret meaning in the simplest of gestures. It was understandable though. They were all in the Hunter's Refuge right now, worried about a prophecy that could lead to the downfall of their world.

Reyna ignored Annabeth's gaze, and made her way to the room she shared with Arthur. She wanted to clean up and change before dinner. She was certain they would be having some sort of bear meat tonight. Reyna was excited to see what Arthur would make, he was an amazing cook remarkably.

"You want us to believe that it was a bear that caused that blood to cover you and Piper," Annabeth accused from the doorway.

Reyna shook her head, "If you are going to question me, could you shut the door. I'd rather the boys not see me naked."

Annabeth quirked an eyebrow up as she shut the door to the room. Reyna took off her hunting parka and set it on the bed. She began to slowly remove her armor pieces and weapons, placing them on a manakin Arthur had placed in the room for her.

"You mean you and Arthur haven't…" Annabeth asked.

Reyna blushed at that. Annabeth was the closest thing Reyna had to a best friend. They talked about everything, including each other's love lives and how far they had progressed. Reyna knew too much about what Annabeth and Percy had done. They had not gone 'all the way,' but they had certainly come close. Reyna and Arthur had talked about it a bit the first night before going to bed, and both had agreed that they were a long way from that. However, snuggling together at night was agreed upon by both parties.

"No!" Reyna exclaimed, "Why would you think that?"

Annabeth shrugged, "You have been spending the night with him all week."

Reyna rolled her eyes, "We just sleep."

She stepped into the bathroom to shower, Annabeth following so she could be heard.

"So what really attacked out there?" She asked as Reyna turned on the water to the shower.

"Honestly," Reyna said, "It was just this large bear. I guess Jason and Piper got too close to its den and upset it. Arthur and I were lucky. He sank his knives into the beast's hindquarters, and I landed on it driving mine into its neck and spine."

The hot water felt good to Reyna, and she let it ease the tension out of her muscles. Annabeth seemed shocked that Jason and Piper would be scared of a bear. She stood by the sink thinking about the whole situation.

"You still in here Annabeth?" Reyna called from the shower.

Annabeth looked to the shower, seeing Reyna's head pop out from the curtain, "Yea I'm here."

"What's on your mind then?"

Annabeth shrugged, "Jason and Piper have fought Gaea herself. Why would a bear be a problem for them?"

Reyna shrugged as she turned off the water, "They did not seem to have any weapons. They were probably on one of their nature walks and have gotten too comfortable with how peaceful it is here."

Annabeth nodded, "How do you think the others are doing?"

"Frank and Nico are good leaders. They will have the demigods ready to fight if need be. I'm more concerned with not being able to contact anyone from New Rome," Reyna told Annabeth.

Reyna finished drying off and threw on some simple clothes, a pair of yoga pants and one of Arthur's silver Camp Jupiter shirts. Annabeth smirked at the sight, the shirt was huge on Reyna. Reyna grabbed a hairbrush to tame the wildness of her hair.

"Have you been trying to contact people there?" Annabeth asked.

Reyna nodded, "A couple senators I know and a few retired legionnaires."

"What happens when you Iris Message them?" Annabeth was curious as to what was stopping Reyna from getting through.

Reyna shrugged, "The message just gives me static, then a purple mist comes out of it. Last time I tried it, I heard a weird voice come through."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows, "What did it say? What did it sound like?"

Reyna paused for a moment and set the brush down. She had cut her hair short recently and it made doing her hair easier. She tried to remember what the voice had told her.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure what the voice said, but I do know it sounded creepy. Like when Arthur uses the _Necronomicon_. You know how his voice gets when he casts those dark spells."

Annabeth nodded, "Maybe it's whoever is framing him for the destruction of New Rome. I'm not sure how that would fit into the prophecy though."

Reyna looked over at Annabeth, "I've been giving that a lot of thought. What task in mythology would be considered foolish?"

Annabeth placed a finger on her chin, "That is difficult to say. It all depends on what you declare to be foolish. Psyche sorting the different grains seems foolish to me."

Reyna nodded, "I considered that one. However, she had help with it. The ants did the work for her, that makes the task less foolish I think."

Annabeth nodded, "Okay, and based off the prophecy it should be a task that everyone would view as foolish."

Reyna turned and looked directly at Annabeth, "If you think about it, there is only one task that seems to fit the criteria."

Annabeth's eyes widened in realisation. Together the two girls said the answer out loud, "Sisyphus!"

 **Big Reveal! or was it? I guarantee you will find out next chapter. The story is drawing to a close and I'm sad to see it end, but I'm also excited to see what comes of it all. The next chapter is already written, but probably won't go up until next week...maybe This weekend I will be at DRAGONCON in Atlanta and that is taking up a good bit of my time and money. Let me know your thoughts on this chapter. Are you glad I'm back? I can honestly say it's good to be back.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey guys thanks for your support on this and my other story. It has been great getting messages from each of you telling me how much you like these stories. It makes me want to continue to write and look at if there will be stories after the two I'm working on now. For now though, that's enough out of me. Here is the next chapter of The Venator.**

Arthur was busy cooking the bear meat, while Thalia and Sarah prepped the side dishes for dinner that night. It was too be quite the feast honestly. Arthur was not sure why he wanted to prep such a large meal for everyone, but he just felt the urge to do it. He wished this time with his friends would last forever, but he knew that couldn't happen. They had to save New Rome from whatever force was taking over it.

"Guys, I think I'm going to have to go to Rome soon," Arthur said quietly.

"What brought that suicidal idea on?" Thalia asked, "You know that as soon as you leave this place, the gods will find you and try to kill you to stop the prophecy."

Arthur nodded, "I know, but I think the prophecy is ready to begin. Rome has been taken over after all, and we don't know by who."

The girls could sense the anger and despair in their brother's voice. They knew he hated being blamed for something he did not do, and by the people he had swore to protect. Things had started to look up for the male hunter, but now they were back to the way they were before. At least this time though, Arthur had a team that was willing to support him. Currently, the Roman Archers were training with the Hunt and the rest of the camps who knew something was wrong in Rome.

"Do you have any ideas who has taken control of New Rome brother?" Sarah asked.

Arthur shook his head, "Reyna and I have been trying to figure that out all week. We've come up with nothing."

Sarah smirked, "It is a little difficult to think things through when your lips are locked together most of the time."

Arthur blushed at his favorite sister's comment. Thalia gave Sarah a high five for embarrassing him so. Arthur could not argue against the comment either. He and Reyna had spent a lot of their time together kissing and making up for lost time with their relationship. They had not done more than making out, and Arthur was fine with that. When your mother is the goddess of maidens you learn early on how wrong it is to push a girl farther than she is ready to go.

"You seem to have changed colors Arthur," Thalia teased.

Arthur groaned, "Leave it be, please."

Both girls laughed, and Arthur could not help but join in. It felt good to laugh, even though he had the threat of death from many of the gods hanging over his head. He knew it was up to him to save the threat that was growing in New Rome, but he did not even know what the threat was.

"Honestly, Arthur, how are things between you and Reyna?" Sarah asked.

Arthur smiled at his little sister, "They are good. I don't think I'll be doing anything stupid like leaving her again. She's mostly forgiven me for that and we have been getting closer."

Sarah nodded her head, "Good. You deserve to be happy brother."

Arthur sighed and agreed with her. He had heard the speech time and time again. It did not help ease the fact that the majority of Mt. Olympus would like to do nothing better than kill him and move on. Being the son of Artemis was difficult, but the rewards outweighed the issues in his mind.

Arthur piled the bear meat onto a serving tray and made his way towards the dining room. There, Piper was putting the finishing touches to the table decorations and everyone was making their way into the room. Annabeth and Reyna came in together, both having an inquisitive look on their face. Arthur worried about that a little, but knew if whatever they were thinking about was too problematic, then they would look scared instead. Thalia and Sarah brought out the side dishes and finished setting the table.

"Jason, could you light the fire please? That way we can provide offerings to the gods," Arthur asked.

Jason nodded and sent a bolt of electricity towards the fireplace. Soon there was a roaring fire and the demigods could give their offerings to their parents. One by one the demigods made their way to the fire and scraped off the offering from their plate and then sat down to enjoy dinner.

Conversation flowed rather well during the meal. Jokes were made at Jason and Piper's expense and how a bear was going to eat them. Everyone was laughing and joking except for Annabeth and Reyna. Arthur noticed and moved to sit near the two girls. He was concerned about whatever they may have been talking about.

"It can't be him though Annabeth, he's trapped for eternity," Reyna whispered.

Annabeth nodded, "I know, but when Gaea was rising she broke a lot of the rules and punishments placed on different beings. He could have been one of them."

Reyna sighed, "Okay, let's say your theory is correct and Gaea did release him, how would he have learned magic like what Arthur uses? Arthur is the only one with the _Necronomicon_."

Arthur cleared his throat, "But, I'm not the only one who knows what it contains."

Both girls turned to face Arthur, their faces tinged pink in embarrassment from talking about him while he was listening. Annabeth got over it quickly, but Reyna was struggling since Arthur was right next to her ear whispering into it. She felt his breath hit her neck and enjoyed the sensation, however, it caused her mind to go completely blank.

"What do you mean?" Annabeth questioned him.

Arthur kissed Reyna on the neck before facing Annabeth, enjoying the soft moan which came from Reyna, "Well, Hecate was responsible for writing the book of spells. It was originally created to help her children teach her followers magic. It partnered with the _Zoinomicon_ to provide a balance of dark and light magics."

Reyna shook herself out of her stupor, "Why would she want her followers trained in dark magics?"

"She's the goddess of the crossroads and magic. Some choices are darker than others, that's why there was a need for two books," Arthur explained.

"So what you're saying is, any child or follower of Hecate could know what is in there?" Annabeth wanted to clarify. If that was the case then there were a lot of people with access to deadly magics.

Arthur shook his head, "Not quite. These books were lost for ages until Hecate, or Trivia as she was, sent me to find them. I'm the first person in a long time to use these books. Therefore, it would have to be someone who was in contact with a spirit, or someone we missed when Gaea revived all those people, who is casting the spells."

Annabeth and Reyna paled, and everyone noticed. They could tell that the two of them must know who it is that is behind what is currently happening in New Rome.

"Wise Girl," Percy started, "You know who it is don't you?"

Annabeth shrugged, "Reyna and I came up with an idea, and Arthur almost confirmed it. There's just one detail that I am not sure of."

Arthur leaned forward, "Tell me your theory. Maybe I can help you figure out the last part."

Annabeth glanced at Reyna. The two shared an unspoken conversation between them before Annabeth sighed. She began to explain how they thought that maybe Gaea left a few agents to cause chaos in the event of her defeat. Based on the prophecy they had been told, they narrowed down the useless task to only a few. Reyna jumped in saying that they strongly believed that the useless task was that of Sisyphus, and that he was causing the trouble.

"Wait, how could Sisyphus be doing anything? He is supposed to be trapped in the Underworld pushing that boulder up a hill over and over again," Thalia said.

The others around the table nodded in agreement. Percy looked a little lost, but with some help from Annabeth he remembered what the myth was about. The group was silent as each demigod tried to figure out how Sisyphus could achieve any of this.

"What if he was trained, while he was pushing the boulder?" Sarah asked.

"Who would train him though?" Piper returned.

Everyone looked to Arthur, Annabeth, and Reyna. They seemed to have the answers to this riddle so they should know. Surprisingly, it was Percy who spoke up.

"A ghost could have taught him. Like how Minos influenced and taught Nico."

Everyone stared at Percy in shock. Annabeth smiled and kissed him right on the mouth.

"Seaweed Brain you are a genius."

Percy smiled, "Really?"

Annabeth smirked at him, "Well sometimes."

Everyone laughed as Percy sulked a little. Annabeth kissed him again, letting Percy know she was only teasing.

"There's only one problem," Arthur interjected, "How could he learn to cast magic if both his hands were preoccupied by pushing the boulder?"

Annabeth had an answer ready for him, "Some people, if they watch someone else do something enough, can imitate it. All he would have needed to do is watch a ghost or spirit enough times and then test it when he was finally freed."

A hollow laugh filled the Refuge. Each demigod tensed up and reached for whatever they could use as a weapon. As the laughter grew, a purple mist began to fill the dining room. Each demigod began to feel drowsy as three figures walked into the room.

"Well done, daughter of Athena," the laughing voice said.

Reyna and Arthur tilted their heads towards each recognized that voice, but could not place a face to it at the moment. Reyna's eyes began to droop more, and Arthur recognized the spell. He began muttering a counterspell for it, but knew he was too late to stop its effects.

"Well, if it isn't some of the greatest heroes of the age," the voice continued, "I knew my identity could not be kept secret for long. However, there is still one big reveal left!"

The man, who the demigods knew to be Sisyphus, stepped forward. As his face was revealed angry spread across Reyna and Arthur's face as they knew exactly who he was.

"Silas!" they both cried out.

Silas chuckled, "Yes it is me, Silas. Although, since you know my real name I'd prefer you use it. Sisyphus is such a better name anyway."

"What is it you want?" Arthur challenged before going back to muttering the counterspell.

Sisyphus looked hurt, "Why Arthur, there is no need to be hostile. I want what you and Reyna want. A strong New Rome to stand the test of time. I'd even go so far as to say I want the Greeks to join us as well."

Reyna looked at him dubiously, "I doubt that. If you truly wanted that, then why were you working with Gaea and framing Arthur for causing destruction in New Rome."

Sisyphus chuckled as his guards stepped forward. Waving them off he said, "So dear Praetor, you would like me to monologue and tell my grand evil plans like super villains do in those silly comic books and movies. Well, seeing as I have the upper hand for certain here, I would be happy to do that for you. You see, I am known for cheating death, twice. If you can fool one immortal, it only takes careful planning to fool others. For centuries I have pushed that boulder, and for centuries I planned my revenge. I knew demigods would have to be a part of it, but I was not as foolish as Kronos to think that I could assault Olympus directly.

No, I found something even more fiendish. I would get the demigods to stop believing in the gods completely, like many did all those years ago at the fall of the Roman Empire. You see, I plan on having myself appointed as the new emperor of New Rome. And since cheating death is my specialty, I will be able to live forever. Thus ensuring New Rome continues to prosper and become the one true kingdom of this world."

"You're a madman," Jason called out, "Your plan will never work."

Sisyphus smirked, "Ah son of Jupiter, that's where you are wrong. I have the two most important pieces to my plan right here in front of me. By kidnapping Reyna, and returning her to New Rome, where she will support my taking the seat of Emperor, I will gain control of the Legion itself. Even if they disagree with her and her methods, Reyna can reunite the currently split Legion since she is such a war hero."

"As if I'll let you take her!" Arthur shouted, drawing both of his hunting knives and allowing his fiery silver aura to take over.

"Arthur, Arthur, Arthur. Don't worry. You are the second piece. You with your Curse of Mithras and animosity towards the gods currently are perfect to sow the seeds of discord. The gods want to kill you, after all the good you have done. Join me and you will rule as my second-in-command and together we will show the demigods how much the gods truly care. Then we will take this world from them and rule side by side forever!" Sisyphus explained to the Venator.

Arthur's aura flickered, "What about Reyna? She would never go for your plans."

Sisyphus chuckled, "Well that's where our magic can help brainwash her to make sure she follows."

At that moment, Sisyphus flicked his wrist and Reyna was bound with dark energy. Her hands were tied behind her back, and her legs were bound at the ankles. Some of the energy wrapped around her mouth, effectively gagging her. Sisyphus motioned with his hand again and Reyna's body hovered in the air, floating towards him.

"I'll give you a week to make up your mind. Until then, your lovely girlfriend will be my guest of honor," Sisyphus said, "Don't worry Arthur. I know you will make the right choice and bring your friends to see the truth as well."

With that, an explosion of dark energy erupted as Sisyphus, Reyna, and the guards teleported out of the Refuge. The only thing that was left behind was a note. Arthur ran forward to grad it and read it.

 _Arthur,_

 _If you are wondering how I found your mother's little Refuge I'll tell you_. _One of the spells I learned allows me to locate anyone, anywhere. All it takes is a little sacrifice of someone close to that person to cast it. I hope you don't mind, but I found one of your sisters from the Hunt. She put up a good fight, but in the end she screamed and begged me for her life. It was adorable. I can bring her back for you if you want, all you have to do is accept my deal_.

The aura around Arthur turned from silver, to its original orange, to a red so deep that it seemed like blood was radiating off of him. White magic energy appeared around his hand has he flung it around the room, freeing the others from Sisyphus' curse. He walked forward slowly, leaving footsteps of blood red fire behind him. As he stepped out into the wilderness around the Refuge, Arthur let loose a terrible roar. His roar could be heard for miles, as his power amplified it. He screamed out into the night sky.

"SISYPHUS! I HOPE YOU EAT WELL THIS NEXT WEEK! WHEN I GET A HOLD OF YOU, YOU'LL DINE IN THE DEEPEST PITS OF TARTARUS!"

 **The villain has been revealed, finally! I thought it would be interesting if some mortals were freed by Gaea to act as "sleeper agents" of sorts. Kind of a backup plan. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The next one is in the works. Who's looking forward to November and National Novel Writing Month? If you haven't checked it out you should. There's even a FanFiction category in it.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey guys I'm back. Sorry for the super long delay. I'm hoping that with this chapter I can get back to writing. I've been so busy at work and home that I just have not really had the time to sit down a work on these things. Sorry to the readers who have been wanting for so long for this update.**

Two days had passed since Reyna had been taken captive. Percy and Jason had to work together to keep Arthur calm enough to think rationally. Once he was calm, Arthur began to give orders to the other demigods. They gathered what supplies they could and hurried to meet with the members of the two camps who had not been seduced by Sisyphus's magics.

Arthur led the small band of demigods at a gruelling pace to cross the country. The others knew what drove him, but they did not understand why the aura of Mithras did not dissipate from his blood red aura that now surrounded him blazed brightly day and night as Arthur continued his journey towards the army. By noon the second day, Annabeth and Thalia had had enough of not knowing what was going on and they questioned Arthur about it when they stopped for lunch.

"Arthur! Has the curse taken over you completely?" Thalia asked worriedly.

Annabeth just looked him over as if he were a bomb that had yet to detonate, "What can we do to calm you down?"

Arthur turned to look at them and spoke with a voice that sounded metallic and ancient. A voice that clearly did not belong to him, "Calm me down? Oh daughter of the Greeks favored goddess, there is nothing that can truly calm me down. This "demi-human" as the Olympians have named him is the last of my descendants and has had his sanity torn asunder. The only thing that exists in it now, is revenge."

The demigods shivered at the power that came with the voice. It sounded like the voice of one of the gods, but dusty and forgotten. They were unsure what was happening, and so they approached cautiously.

"Revenge?" Jason asked, "What is it he wants revenge for?"

The grin which spread across Arthur's face would have looked out of place normally, but with his eyes radiating blood red power and his features seeming darker the grin only added to the sinister vibe he was putting off.

"Son of Jupiter you dare to ask what my descendant wants revenge for? Your father leading the charge to destroy him could be one reason! Or you could consider how half the Legion he swore his life to fight for has turned their backs on him! Better yet, let's go with the most obvious choice, THE WOMAN HE LOVES HAS BEEN STOLEN BY ONE HE CONSIDERED AN ALLY!" the voice grew steady until it was yelling. The power behind it causing all but Thalia and Sarah to step back.

Piper spoke up from her hiding place behind Jason, "Please, we want to help Arthur. Maybe if you told us who you are, then we could do that better."

The voice laughed darkly, "Leave it to the spawn of Venus to try to calm the situation down. I will tell you who I am if you promise to keep the Romans from killing me when they discover the truth."

Annabeth spoke this time, "We would protect Arthur with our lives if necessary. No matter what his heritage."

Whatever was possessing Arthur turned to look at Annabeth, "You, the child who destroyed my last temple, the temple which guarded your mother's greatest statue, would do this?"

Annabeth nodded. This seemed to impress whatever had taken over Arthur as he sighed and released the tension in his shoulders. He motioned for the demigods to sit on the ground as he took a seat himself.

"I am the long forgotten god, Mithras."

Most of the demigods gasped when he said this. Mithras took note of those who had not, figuring they were closer to Arthur than the others and he had told them. He continued to tell his story to the demigods. How Arthur was the last of his kin, and carried the last of his final curse against Rome.

"All I wanted was to be included. When the legionnaires began to worship me in the cult fashion they did, I did not want to usurp anyone's position in Rome. I just wanted a place to call my own. A family, if you will. However, Jupiter in all of his paranoia saw me as an upstart who wanted to cause anarchy and create an imbalance of power. Something he probably figured I would take advantage of. This is why the demigods went forth to kill any of my followers or descendants. As I began to fade, I took the last of my aura and cursed those of my descendants who escaped Olympus's wrath. They were to live in hiding and when the time was right, strike out against those who denied them a place to call home."

Thalia spoke up, "Arthur told us he did research on his ancestors. He said that one of your descendants was the barbarian chieftain who led the final charge which caused the ancient roman empire to fall. Is that true?"

Mithras nodded, "There was a way to lift the curse though. It was not meant to last forever. All that had to happen was for my descendants to find peace and a family amongst the Roman demigods. Seeing as how I emerge during Rome's rule, I had no idea that Greek demigods had survived. None had achieved it until this young man sitting in front of you."

Mithras turned his gaze onto Thalia and Sarah, "I owe your mistress a great deal of thanks. She set this boy onto the path of redemption."

"What would happen if the curse was lifted?" Percy asked.

"Then my essence would leave them, causing me to fade completely, and my descendants to live a relatively peaceful life. They would not feel my anger forcing them into rages or furies anymore. They would keep all the standard abilities a demigod is gifted with, but those that were especially from me would no longer exist."

Sarah scooted closer to Mithras/Arthur and placed her head on his shoulder, "You would give up everything to make my big brother happy?"

Mithras scooped the little girl into his arms, causing her to squeal, "Why couldn't the gods be more like you! Such caring and love. To answer your question little one, yes I would."

"Does that mean Arthur's eyes won't be silver fire when he is set to protect us anymore?"

Mithras nodded.

Suddenly Sarah's eyes widened and started to tear up, "You can't do that!"

Everyone was taken aback by the little girl's response, even Thalia. Tears began to flow freely down her cheeks as she gripped Arthur/Mithras's arm tighter. No one knew what to do or say, when finally, Sarah continued to speak.

"If that goes away, how will Arthur save us? He always gets stronger when his eyes become silver fire, and no matter what he is up against he wins. We know we will be safe when we see the silver fire. All of us younger girls in the Hunt know that if anything gets to be too bad that we just have to look for it and then we will be safe," Sarah was sobbing uncontrollably at this point.

Thalia placed her hand on the young huntresses shoulder and tried to comfort her. Sarah refused to let go though. She cried harder and harder, until she felt the familiar comfort of Arthur's hand rubbing her back. She looked up, expecting to see Arthur's silver eyes, but met Mithras's blood red ones instead.

"My dear, when he pushes himself that hard, Arthur comes close to death. By removing that ability, it would save your big brother's life," the god said softly. The voice sounded more like Arthur's towards the end.

"Why don't you ask my brother what he wants then?" Sarah questioned the nearly faded god.

Mithras went silent at that. He closed Arthur's eyes and the other demigods watched as Arthur's eyes danced to and fro behind his eyelids. None knew what was occurring and all were worried about their friend in this situation. After several minutes of no change, Percy suggested they get lunch while Mithras and Arthur had their discussion. All agreed, except Sarah. She sat herself in front of Arthur and waited to hear the answer. Anyone looking on would think that Arthur was teaching the young girl to meditate.

"How long do you think this will take?" Jason asked.

The others shrugged.

"It could be minutes, it could be days," Annabeth answered, "No one knows with the gods."

Percy took a bite out of the sandwich he was eating, "Wise Girl's right. Plus this is an almost faded god, so it could take longer due to lack of power."

Jason frowned and adjusted his glasses, "I understand that, but we don't have that kind of time. Sisyphus gave us a week. Well more so gave Arthur a week, before he starts whatever his plan will be. We have to save Reyna and New Rome before he destroys or corrupts them!"

Piper patted his arm, "You're right Jason, but what can we do? The prophecy says that Arthur will be the deciding figure in the battle. He will need to be there."

"The prophecy says that the gods have to turn to Arthur or their legacy will burn," Annabeth corrects, "That could simply mean he knows of a way to keep their legacy from burning. The Fates are funny that way."

Jason groans, "Don't you think that we've done enough for the gods to get them to allow us to defy fate just this once?"

As Jason said that three peals of thunder rolled in the distance.

"Uh bro, I wouldn't say things like that out loud. They may be old ladies, but they can hear pretty well," Percy suggested.

"But…" Jason started, but was cut off by his sister.

"No Jason. We cannot defy what the Fates have woven. However, we do not know for certain what they wove," Thalia's voice held no nonsense in it, "I also agree we must do what we can to save Reyna and New Rome. Both are just as important as Arthur is."

"You sound like you got a plan Air Freshener," Percy said.

Thalia nodded, "I do you overgrown Sea Cucumber. You all go on without Sarah and I. I'll contact the Hunt and get them to meet us here. When Arthur has woken up and we know what's up we will join you."

"What if we have left the encampment and engaged the enemy in New Rome?" Piper asked.

Thalia grinned cockly, "Then save me some monsters and bad guys Beautiful, cause we'll be backing you up."

Jason frowned, "I don't like it. We shouldn't split our forces like that."

"Ask the daughter of the Goddess of Battle Strategy if it is a good plan then," Percy said. He smiled at Annabeth, who blushed a little at the comment.

She kissed Percy on the top of his head before saying, "It is a better plan than sitting and waiting. If we strike in the three days it would even have an element of surprise. Sisyphus would be expecting Arthur to gather his forces and arrive at the gates of New Rome tomorrow at the earliest. However, he may also figure that Arthur may take the deal to save Reyna from him and get back at those who hate him. If that's the case he will expect Arthur to fight himself over it until the last day and show up then."

"So by striking in three days we will be in between those two eventualities and he won't be expecting it," Piper finished.

Everyone stared at Piper in shock. She blushed crimson before saying, "What? I've been reading books Annabeth suggested for me to understand battle better. I was trying to improve the Aphrodite cabin's performance in Capture the Flag."

Annabeth beamed, "That is precisely my plan."

Jason thought it over for a moment, "It does seem like a sound strategy. It should work to our advantage as well, if we keep the Hunt as a sort of reserve."

"We will have to run it by Frank and Chiron, but it should work," Annabeth added.

The demigods looked at each other, satisfied with their plan. Thalia went off to call the Hunt together in support of their brother. The others finished up their lunches, offering some up to Sarah. She took a couple sandwiches after her stomach growled loudly and ferocious enough to scare off a drakon.

Thalia waved the others off and they began to make their way to meet up with the demigod army. Based on the last Iris Message, they would encounter them after traveling for a few hours. Luckily, Arthur had hooked them up with a vehicle so it would not take long to travel across country. The ride was silent as the demigods started drifting off to sleep, Percy at the wheel of the van. Suddenly, the silence was broken.

"Pull over here Percy," Arthur said.

His voice shocked the other demigods in the van and they all turned to look at him, Percy included. When Percy looked, the van swerved off the road, hitting the rumble strips and almost steering into a nearby field. Luckily, Annabeth was able to gain her senses quickly and jerked the wheel back to put the van on the road again.

"Eyes on the road Percy!" she yelled.

"Sorry," Percy responded as he glanced in the rearview mirror to look at Arthur, "Why do you want me to pull over?"

Arthur sighed, "I like your guys plan, but we will need more information. Let me out here and I will head towards New Rome. You all go gather your forces and I will meet you thirty miles outside of New Rome and Camp Jupiter to finalize our strategy."

"That's suicide!" Piper yelled.

The others in the van agreed with her, adding in that they would not let Arthur give himself up and that they would be able to fight Sisyphus and save Reyna. Arthur listened to what they had to say for a few minutes, then raised his hand to silence everyone.

"Thalia, Sarah, who is the best member of the Hunt as far as stealth and information gathering?" Arthur asked.

They both sat thinking, "Probably you honestly. There's a couple that come close, but you're the only one who can successfully hide from the gods like you do."

"Exactly," Arthur responded, "That means I will be able to sneak in, get a look at their forces, and get out without anyone noticing me. Even if they do see me, they'll have to catch me first. No one in Camp Jupiter has ever been able to keep me from escaping any trap or even been able to catch me when I'm trying."

Percy began to pull the van over to the side of the road, slowly this time. Jason, Piper, and Annabeth could not believe he was agreeing with Arthur and stared at Percy with wide open mouths.

"Guys, he's right. We need to know their setup. While he investigates the situation, we can mobilize the joint demigod forces. We will meet Arthur outside Camp Jupiter in two days time. That is one day before we strike and allows us to prepare as we need to," Percy told them.

"But what about," Jason began.

Percy gave him a look in the mirror and firmly responded, "No. That is our plan. Arthur, I wish you luck. Don't get caught. If we don't see you on the rendezvous day, we will expect the worse and prepare our army accordingly."

Arthur nodded, "I would expect nothing less. If I were to turn against my mother, I would hope all my sisters would each take turns killing me for being a traitor."

Arthur winked at Thalia and Sarah and climbed out of the van. Using his abilities from Artemis, and even enhancing them with his curse, Arthur took off like a bullet across the landscape. The last thing he heard before he left was Annabeth whispering to Percy so the van would not hear, "It really turns me on when you get authoritative like that."

Arthur shook his head as he ran. He needed to keep his mind focused on the task at hand, otherwise he would slip up and that would be a problem for everyone. He could not let Sisyphus sway him against the gods. More importantly, he had to save Reyna. On top of that, Arthur was worried about what kind of surprises Sisyphus would have waiting on him in New Rome.

 **It's about to go down. The final fight is approaching. I hope you guys liked this. Sorry if anyone seemed OOC at any point, I'm dusting off my writing notebooks to get back into this. See you guys next time.**


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